


The Portal To Your Heart

by Semper_Sehun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Bottom Oh Sehun, Elves, Eventual Romance, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Magical Creatures, Mystery, Oral Sex, Sehun is an elf, Spells & Enchantments, Top Kim Jongin | Kai, possibly a few lame lotr references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-11-02 05:03:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 44,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20630366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semper_Sehun/pseuds/Semper_Sehun
Summary: Finding a naked man with pointed ears was the last thing Jongin expected when he decided to clean his grandparent's old garden.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks for M. for betaing this fic for me! You are my hero!
> 
> To the prompter:  
Your prompt gave me basically all the freedom I needed to create this fic. I liked how simple yet appealing it was, and I wonder if what this fic became is anything like what you might have imagined anyone to write for this prompt. Either way, I hope you will enjoy this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a lot of work, and sometimes I wanted to throw my laptop against the wall, but most of the time I really loved developing the universe and creating a story behind everything. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to write this, I hope you'll enjoy reading this fic! <3  
To everyone else: Of couse, I hope that all of you who decided to click on this fic will also enjoy it! Have fun while reading! <3

The sun was filtering through the trees, the shadows of the leaves leaving intricate patterns on the ground beneath the tree roots where the earth was still wet from last night’s rain. Summer had only just begun to reach out its fingers, and the nights were still cold, a sheen of morning dew glimmering on the flower petals every time the sun rose from its slumber.

It had been ages since he’d last come here. The garden was everything his life back in the city wasn’t. Wild, untamed, colourful. The vividness of the flower petals reminded him of the cocktails he used to drink when he still had the time to go out with his friends. At the age of 25, he shouldn’t feel so old, he realized.

Here, in the garden, time seemed to stand still. It was as if he’d stepped into a different world, a parallel universe that was so similar to his own world but yet so different. The differences were marginal, but they made a difference so palpable yet so hard to grasp so he couldn’t find the right way to put it into words.

During his childhood, he used to come here every weekend. Now, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been there. It must have been years, one or two maybe, probably longer but he just didn’t want to admit it to himself.

Funny, how nature still managed to look so good when it lost all control. Nobody had come back to tend to the flowerbeds, to mow the lawn or to tend to the shed that was slowly but surely overtaken by the ivy vines that had long since drowned the wooden construction in romantically woven rakes of green.

For years, Jongin’s grandparents had lovingly taken care of the garden outside the suburbs of Seoul. Now, a year after the passing of his grandmother three weeks ago, no one had visited the garden ever since his grandparents had last stepped foot in it. In all honesty, Jongin had almost forgotten about its existence. It embarrassed him, especially when he thought about how much he used to enjoy playing in the garden with his sister when he was younger, but college had taken its toll on him and now, with a full-time job and too little time for himself, the memories had slowly faded until they had become only a mere afterthought in the back of his mind.

After the passing of his grandmother – his grandfather had already passed two years ago, Jongin couldn’t believe it had been that long already – the family had once again become aware of the garden in his grandparent’s possession. In their will, Jongin’s grandparents had made it clear that the garden should fall into Jongin’s possession after their death. Just that notion alone had made him feel bad about not having visited. Apparently, his grandparents had put in special thought just for him to be the inheritor of the garden, yet Jongin hadn’t wasted it a single thought in years.

That’s why Jongin had taken the car outside of Seoul, driving the streets that used to be so familiar. It had felt odd, driving the road to the garden on his own for the very first time. For his whole life, he’d come here in the backseat of his parent’s car, his sister singing along to one of the girl group records she had begged their parents to play during their drive while Jongin stared out of the window, dreaming about the games of soccer he could play at the garden or the naps he could take in the comfy wooden armchair.

It was crazy, Jongin thought, how little thought he’d spent on those memories the past couple years. Now, when he looked at the garden, he wondered how he and his family had ever let it come that far.

It wasn’t like the untamed wilderness of the garden was ugly. It wasn’t at all, it was beautiful, actually. It was just so far from the tidily kept set-up his grandparents had prided themselves on that Jongin almost hadn’t recognized it at first.

The gate was broken, the wood planks limply hanging down where a nail had broken out of the construction. His chest tightened at the image, and quickly, Jongin stepped past it.

It was almost as if the air smelled different the moment he passed through the gate. There was a distinct taste on his lips, something that he couldn’t place but was there. Maybe it was the taste of nostalgia, Jongin didn’t know.

The shed and a large oak hid most of the actual garden from his view. Originally, there had been a path leading to the back area of the garden where the flower beds and even self-grown vegetables used to wait for him, but now, the path that used to lead him there was merely a faint memory. The stone plates that had adorned it had long cracked from the pressure of weeds and flowers pressing from underneath. It was the perfect display of how in the end, nature always overtook anything manmade. Just a simple flower could break concrete, something that was meant to last for a long, long time taken down by some weeds that people ripped out because they deemed them ugly, unworthy.

For a moment, Jongin considered taking a glance into a shed. There wasn’t anything special in there, just gardening utensils. Leave it to his grandfather to buy at least one gardening set a year when it was on sale in their local store, no matter how many he already had waiting in the shed. Jongin wouldn’t doubt that there was at least one still unopened lying in there somewhere. He should probably search through the shed later on, but for now, he wanted to get a better look at the garden.

The sun hit his face as he stepped out of the shadows of the towering oak. He hadn’t remembered it being so tall, creating a beautifully soothing shadow that hid you from the bordering summer heat that he knew was going to come in the next few weeks.

It should have been the sight of the wild roses that somehow had survived receiving absolutely no care at all, or how high the grass really had grown, maybe even the loud buzzing of the bugs that caught his attention.

However, the only thing that Jongin could really focus on in that moment when he had blinked enough for the sunlight to no longer blind him anymore, was the figure lying on the ground in front of him, surrounded by lush, green blades of grass and daisies.

Right in front of him, in the untouched garden of his grandparents, lied a man, stark naked and seemingly fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 1

"Who are you?"

Sun filtered through the trees, painting the naked figure with intricate patterns of black and white. No matter how hard Jongin attempted not to stare, he couldn’t take his eyes off the man on the ground in front of him. "What are you doing in my grandparent's garden?"

The man just blinked at him. His face looked strained, as if he’d just woken up from a long slumber. A very much naked slumber, and in his grandparent’s garden at that, Jongin thought.

"Where are your ears?"

A deep, soft voice cut through the air. For a second, Jongin didn’t register the meaning behind the words, just dumbly staring at the naked man. Then, he realized what the other really had just said.

"Wh-what? I'm the one asking the questions. Also, what kind of question is that?" Not only had the stranger blatantly ignored his own, much more important questions, he’d also managed to make himself sound crazy in the span of just three seconds.

"It looks like your ears were cut off... Is that some kind of punishment in your kingdom? Are you a criminal?"

Okay, this guy was absolutely nuts, Jongin decided. Reaching for his phone in the back pocket of his jeans, he glared at the stranger.

"You're the one lying naked in my grandparent's garden and you're seriously asking if  _ I'm _ the criminal?"

Admittedly, the guy was handsome, if Jongin were to be asked. Although he tried not to look too much, he couldn’t help himself from letting his eyes wander below eye level. The long platinum blonde, almost white hair that looked to be even longer than his sister’s fanned out beneath the man’s shoulders, a few stray strands falling into his eyes and over his carved out collar bones. Sharp facial features adorned strong eyebrows, but his lips looked soft, a tiny pout forming on his lips as the guy stared up at him. Jongin had long noticed the strong shoulders, slim waist, and a faint trail of hair starting at his navel and leading down to-

"Who are you?" Pulling himself out of his trance, Jongin cleared his throat and forced himself to meet the other’s eyes. His cheeks were burning, but the other man didn’t seem fazed by his obvious nakedness at all. It was as if he hadn’t even noticed it just yet, still too overwhelmed from being woken up from his slumber.

"I'm Sehun."

Sehun. At least his name sounded Korean, although his hairstyle didn’t really follow the latest trends. It suited him, no doubt, but he did look like he was coming out of a fantasy novel and not from the streets of Seoul. Even the dye job looked fresh, Jongin couldn’t spot a single black hair sprouting from the roots

Shaking his head, he decided that he didn’t have the time nor the mind to think about random naked people’s hairdresser’s abilities.

"Well, hello Sehun.” Jongin nodded at him. “I will call the police now because you're naked in my grandparent's garden so I will give you exactly a minute to explain yourself or I'll send your naked ass to jail."

A proud smirk threatened to break Jongin’s made-up tough attitude. That had sounded a lot cooler than he’d expected it too, because in reality, Jongin had no idea how to proceed. Calling the police was an option, that much was sure, but he was still generally freaked out that this situation had even happened.

"What's a police?"

Jongin’s eyebrows shot up. Was the guy messing with him?

"Okay, I'm calling the cops, you're a freak. Did you escape from a mental hospital or something like that? Do you need a doctor?"

"Mental... Hospital?"

Somehow, it seemed like the man was actually truly confused. Slowly but surely, he had woken up from his nap, his eyes flitting around the garden. He didn’t seem to recognize his surroundings, and for a second, Jongin was sure he could see panic flare up in the dark pupils.

"Yes?" Jongin asked slowly. If the guy didn’t even know what a mental hospital was, he probably belonged in one. Before he could say anything else though, he hurriedly took a step back when Sehun sat up a little. The sudden movement had scared him.

It was then when he noticed that something was very, very off. "Wait, are this those your ears?"

From beneath his long, silvery hair, his ears had slipped through only to reveal that they were elongated, much like the ears elves had in Lord of The Rings. Jongin gaped.

"Yes, of course." Sehun’s voice was calm, almost nonchalant as he brushed a strand of hair behind his right ear. It only served to highlight the ear shape. Jongin blatantly stared, and began to wonder if this was just a messed up dream and he’d wake up in the morning and he hadn’t even really driven to his grandparent’s garden just yet but he’d only dreamed about it. For some reason though, Jongin already knew that this wasn’t the case, because this  _ felt very much real. _

_ "Who _ are you?"

"I'm Sehun."

"You said that already." Jongin was probably going to go crazy.

Tilting his head a little, Sehun stared back at Jongin as if he was the one being the naked stranger in  _ his _ garden. "But you asked again."

"I was hoping for a little more information."

"I'm Oh Sehun, son of the king's gold smith."

Jongin swallowed. "The... king's gold smith..."

A hint of pride flickered over Sehun’s features. "Yes. My father is teaching my oldest brother and me his craft so we can serve the elven king of our beautiful kingdom of Heulg." It appeared like Sehun had now realized that he was naked, but still, it didn’t seem to bother him. He didn’t make a single attempt to cover himself up, and Jongin wasn’t sure if he admired that careless stance or if he thought that it was insane. In the end, the latter won.

"You're crazy." He mumbled, finally pulling out his mobile phone from the pocket of his jeans. "Absolutely crazy." He muttered as he typed, half the first few digits of the emergency number already dialled.

"What is that?" Curious eyes had landed on Jongin’s mobile phone, more specifically the brown case with a cute bear on it. His niece had gifted it to him, and although it was a phone case suited more for young children or aesthetic teenage girls, Jongin had kept it and grown to like it. Now, it had attracted all of Sehun’s attention.

"What? This?" Jongin held up his phone and Sehun nodded.

"Yes. This. It looks... Strange. Is it some kind of magical device?"

There was no way this dude didn’t know what a mobile phone was. It was almost as if he was-

"That's a mobile phone." Jongin stated blankly. "Dude, if you're fucking with me you can stop now. It's not funny and I don't buy your bullshit. Is this a hidden camera thing? I swear if Taemin arranged this, I'll rip his dick off next time I see him." Looking around furiously, Jongin forgot his initial plan to constantly keep his eyes on the stranger in case he attempted to attack him after all. When he didn’t spot a camera team or suspicious red dots indicating hidden cameras, it slowly sank in that maybe this wasn’t a stupid prank after all.

"What's a hidden camera?" As if on cue, a new question from Sehun hit him right in the head as he was trying to get over a tiny mental breakdown about how he’d gotten into such a situation.

"Okay, so you're clearly confused. I'll call a doctor now and then they'll take you to Seoul." Maybe an ambulance was better than the police cause the man was seriously confused. Maybe he needed medication…

"Oh, the capital!" Just when Jongin had been about to press the call button, Sehun had looked up with a spark of recognition in his eyes.  _ Seoul _ . At least he knew the city. Jongin was beginning to feel a little more hopeful again. Maybe this guy wasn’t a complete nutcase.

"Yes, exactly." Jongin nodded "The capital of South Korea."

As sudden as the progress had been made, it vanished again. "Is that the name of your kingdom?" Sehun asked, and Jongin felt the urgent need to throw his mobile phone against the old wooden walls of the tool shed behind them.

"It's a republic?" Jongin wasn’t even sure why he was replying to Sehun’s questions at this point.

After that, silence stretched between them for a few seconds as they both were lost in thought. Sehun was staring at Jongin, brows furrowed in concentration while Jongin glared at his phone as if the right answer what to do would jump out of the screen and take the responsibility away from him.

"You're not an elf, are you?" Sehun’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked up. Without him noticing, the man had gotten up on is feet, brushing a bit of dirt from his naked thigs. Like this, his legs looked even longer than they had just a second ago…

Overwhelmed by sudden exasperation, Jongin laughed out loud. "No, I'm not an elf. This is not funny. Can you maybe cover up and take those stupid ears off-" In the heat of the moment, he reached forward to tug on Sehun’s ear. If that guy was one of those cosplayer’s, Jongin already had plans to sue his ass through the whole of South Korea and back. However, when the ears didn’t give like he’d expected fake latex ears to, it was starting to dawn on him that maybe, this guy meant a lot more trouble than he’d initially thought. "Fuck." Jongin mumbled, eyes widening almost comically. "They're real. That means you're-"

"An elf. Yes." Sehun stated matter-of-factly. Now that he was standing, the sun directly hit his hair, and Jongin realized that no dye job could make this guy’s hair look like that. It was almost as if it was  _ natural _ .

"I fell asleep on the way to a neighbouring village. When I woke up, I was here. However, this does not look like the place where I fell asleep." Looking around, Sehun eyed the wooden shed warily as if he was seeing it for the first time just now. Hell, maybe he  _ was  _ seeing it for the first time, Jongin thought. At this point, he wasn’t sure what was right and what was made up anymore. His brain was working on overdrive.

"So you're telling me you're... From a different dimension or something like that?" Jongin asked. It was the only conclusion he could come to at this point, well aware of how crazy it sounded.

However, Sehun didn’t seem to think of it being that insane though. "I don't know. I just said I don't remember falling asleep here." The elf shrugged, his eyes wandering through the garden again. They had come to stop on the large tree behind the shed, and his gaze was so intense that Jongin was starting to wonder if the other could see something that Jongin couldn’t.

"Right..." He mumbled, staring into the direction Sehun was so focused on. "Well... Uh. I don't know any elves."

Sehun hummed as if Jongin had just said the most plausible thing ever. "You must be a human then. I have never seen humans so close to our city, you must - wait! Did you kidnap me to pressure my father into giving you gold?"

All of the sudden, the other’s stance changed. In just a second, he’d brought a small distance between them, his eyes no longer directed at the tree but at Jongin. His stare was calculating, and it seemed as if he was ready to react to any movement Jongin was going to make. Like this, he looked like someone who had learned how to fight, and even without a weapon Jongin realized that this naked guy with long, blonde hair and weird ears could probably kick his ass in the blink of an eye.

"What? No!" He hurriedly tried to explain, but Sehun still looked sceptical.

"You did! Oh god." The elf glared at him, still fully convinced that Jongin had apparently kidnapped him. He had no idea why the other would think that, but Sehun seemed very convinced.

"I already said I didn't! I have no clue what you're talking about;" Jongin hurried to say.

At that, Sehun relaxed a little. His brows unfurrowed, and suddenly he looked a lot younger and quite a bit lost. "So you didn't kidnap me?" His voice was small, but still, a hint of distrust swung in his words.

"No!" Jongin insisted and held up his hands as if to signal his innocence.

"Okay." Sehun slumped in on himself a little, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. There was an unreadable expression on his face for a moment, but when he looked up, he looked determined.

"Can you take me to Seoul? You know the way, don't you?"

There was a lot that Jongin had expected the other to say, but the request certainly hadn’t been one of them. In the end though, he couldn’t find a reason to disagree. He wasn’t entirely sure what made him believe that Sehun wasn’t a threat, and it was probably insanely stupid of him, but Jongin found himself nodding either way.

"If you promise not to turn out to be a serial killer, I can take you to Seoul, yeah. But please, put some clothes on first."


	3. Chapter 2

As it turned out, Sehun's idea of Seoul was a whole different one than Jongin's.

Upon reaching his car after leaving the garden, Jongin had managed to convince Sehun to put on some clothes of his. To his luck, Jongin had kept a bag with fresh clothes in the trunk of his car since he’d been planning to hit the gym after his day at the garden. Therefore, the elf was now sitting next to Jongin in the passenger seat, sporting a black Nike shirt with the logo on it and some grey joggers. It was an abstruse image, and whenever Jongin took his eyes off the street in front of him for a second to check if Sehun was really still sitting beside him and not just a creation of his mind, he was reminded of how absurd all of this really was.

It all began when Sehun first spotted Jongin’s car. It got even more intense when Jongin actually _ started _ the car and began driving down the long road leading them to the highway. In just two minutes, Sehun had managed to bombard Jongin with so many questions that Jongin couldn’t even begin to fathom how to answer all of them. Starting with _ “What kind of sorcery is this?”, _ the questions ranged from _ “This magical vehicle is awfully loud for such an effective way of transportation” _ to _ “Can you explain the ritual to me on how to make it rain?” _ . The last question had been directed at Jongin when he’d sprayed some water on the windshield because the entirety of it was covered by pollen. It had taken about five minutes until Jongin realized that his basic explanations of the mechanics of a car only led to more questions _ “What’s a gear.” _ , _ “What’s an engine?” _ , and _ “Why do you have to drive this way and why are the other things going faster than us?”. _ At this point they’d reached the highway, and Sehun stared at the other cars rushing by with large eyes.

It only got worse when they left the highway. Sehun’s eyes were permanently glued to the window, taking everything in. There was a weird expression on his face, a mix between being in awe and absolute devastation, and Jongin realized that he couldn’t even come close to understanding how Sehun had to be feeling at this point.

There was little to nothing that he knew about the other, and yet, he felt sorry for him. There was this weird feeling inside of Jongin, like a sixth sense that he just knew he could trust, that made him believe that what Sehun had told him was right. Even though it seemed much more plausible that the other was an absolute nutcase that believed he was an elf, there was just something about Sehun that made it so easy to believe that he really was one, no matter how crazy it may sound.

The weird fascination that Sehun expressed made Jongin think. As they began to drive closer to the city centre where his tiny, over-priced single room apartment was located, Jongin started to look at the skyscrapers looming over their heads differently. To anyone who’d never seen them before, Jongin could only begin to fathom how grotesque these buildings really looked if the only things you knew of were built without the help of machinery.

At some point, Sehun stopped asking questions about whatever he saw. Jongin wondered if it was because of the onslaught of new information in his brain, or if he was just exhausted from the overbearing greyness of modern cities.

By the time they’d arrived at Jongin’s flat, Sehun looked like he was ready to sleep for 16 hours straight. Every single honk of a car made him turn his head and the sirens of ambulances even managed to make him duck as he slipped out of the car. Like this, the man that had seemed so self-assured back in the garden reminded him more of a panicked fawn than a strong, majestic deer.

Once Jongin had let Sehun into the flat, he’d disappeared into the kitchen with the excuse of ‘getting both of them a glass of water’. What he really did was stare at his phone in his hand, still contemplating whether or not to call 911, after having downed a shot of Soju to calm his nerves.

Because of the size of his apartment, only 26 square metres in total, there was only half a wall separating the kitchen from the living room slash bedroom. Like this, he could watch Sehun stare out of the large window that allowed the view of the city stretching beneath the 20-story building.

"I don't belong here. This is not... home." Sehun’s words echoed in the silent room.

"But this is Seoul." It was a lame response, but it was the only thing Jongin could come up with at the moment. There had been something in Sehun’s tone that had been so indefinably sorrowful that Jongin couldn’t deal with, so he decided to blend it out instead.

Turning around, Sehun took a step away from the window, his eyebrows furrowed in what seemed to have become his trademark look of distaste. "It doesn't look like the Seoul I know."

"I should really call the police..." Jongin muttered more to himself. Maybe all of this was just a giant mistake. Earlier this morning, he’d driven to his grandparent’s garden to do some gardening and cleaning up. How had he ended up with a long-haired grown-ass man who looked to be on the verge of tears upon being confronted with skyscrapers and traffic noises.

"Can't you take me home?" Sehun had now fixated Jongin, his intense brown eyes boring into Jongin’s.

A desperate sound left Jongin’s lips. "I don't know how to help you, Sehun."

Again, the other’s eyebrows furrowed. They looked awfully perfect for probably never having been groomed by a barber. "My father will be worried." Sehun mumbled, but Jongin could still hear it. "I've never been this far from home." "I think- I think I must have travelled through a portal!"

"A portal?" Things were suddenly starting to become a lot more confusing. Jongin’s fingers were hovering over his phone screen again. Maybe he should call Kyungsoo instead of the police first, he always knew what to do…

Before Jongin could act on this idea though, Sehun interrupted him, suddenly sounding a lot more active again than compared to just a few moments ago.

"Yes! A portal. Some elves of the elder council are able to create portals. It was just gossip in the city, but I heard from a friend that works as a servant in the palace that it is true. Apparently, they can create gateways to different worlds."

Servants, palaces, gateways between different worlds – Jongin doubted that even Kyungsoo had an answer to that, no matter how calm and effective the other’s thinking usually was. Maybe, he just had to ignore all logic and listen to what Sehun had to say about this idea.

"Okay, but why would they do that?" Jongin put his phone aside. "Send you through one while you were sleeping I mean."

At that, Sehun just shrugged. "I don't know."

Now that hadn’t been the answer Jongin had been hoping for.

"There's really nothing you can think of? Did you get in trouble? Are you involved in a conflict."

"No." Sehun’s answer was immediate.

"Could it have been accidental?"

"Yeah, possibly."

And again, they were back to square one.

"That's fucked up." Jongin finally pushed himself off the counter and strolled towards Sehun, motioning him to sit down at the couch.

"Your speech is very vulgar." Grabbing the glass Jongin offered, Sehun once again fixated Jongin with that intense stare of his. It was somehow unsettling on one hand, but on the other there was something in Sehun’s eyes that didn’t allow Jongin to look away.

"I'm sorry, I just- you're an elf. In my world, there are no elves. At least not real ones. There's no magic, no portals-"

"And yet I'm here."

"Yeah." Jongin agreed dumbly. "And yet you're here."

Silence stretched between them, only interrupted by the sound of the glass clinking against Sehun’s teeth as he raised it to his lips. For a minute or so, none of the two spoke.

"I need to get back somehow. I have to help my father, there's something-" The words broke out of Sehun like a dam of water that couldn’t hold back the masses pressing against it any longer. As abruptly as he’d started talking, he stopped again and Jongin waited for a second longer before he spoke up, wondering if the other was going to finish his sentence or not. When he didn’t, he cleared his throat.

"Do you have an idea how we could create a portal to get back?"

"I'm not part of the elder council obviously, so I don't. I didn't even know portals truly existed."

"I see..." Now, there was even an elder council. Slowly but surely, Jongin felt like the protagonist of some fantasy novel. It wasn’t a role he’d ever seen himself playing, but somehow, he doubted that he was going to get out of this anytime soon.

"Will I... be stuck here forever?" Sehun’s half empty glass had found its way back to the table. A few particles of dust had drifted into the air at the impact. If Jongin’s mother knew that Jongin let guests, or rather strangers, into his flat without it looking impeccable, she would lecture him for at least half an hour straight on how to be a good host.

"I- let me Google. The chances are low, but who knows..." Jongin already had his phone back in hand. He wasn’t even sure what he was supposed to type into the search bar, but he had to try at least. He couldn’t stand seeing the tiny pout on his lips.

Sehun, however, seemed to have not understood a single word of what he’d said just now.

"What's a Google?"

And just then, Jongin realized that his was probably going to be a lot harder than he’d originally thought it to be.

🍃🦋🍃 

"So I found these very creepy conspiracy theory website where the people behind it probably wear tin hats and look out for chemtrails for a living, but other than that there was this one kinda interesting page that had something on the idea of elves and portals."

For about an hour, Jongin continued to search websites he’d never thought he’d encounter during his admittedly excessive use of the internet, but here he was, browsing on “_ Faerietrails.com” _ and “ _ elfsociety.kr _”. And those where the ones on the normal side, too.

"What's a chemtrail-" Sehun already started again. In the sixty minutes up until now, Jongin had gotten the feeling that Sehun was more like one of those four-year-olds that asked you twenty questions in the span of one minute and all of them didn’t have a definite answer to them or they were so basic that you were struggling to come up with a comprehensive answer.

"Let's focus on what really matters." Interrupted him. He’d already struggled enough while having to explain to Sehun what 9/11 was when they’d scrolled through a conspiracy forum. He’d quickly realized that only the mention of the word plane had brought up at least ten more questions in return so at this point, Jongin had given up and tried to avoid these questions at all cost.

"The stuff that I found mainly focuses on fairies, but it's referred to as elf-folk so I think it could've just been mixed up at some point in history. Also, I don't know if any of this is based on any true facts, but since you're here and able to talk to me, why shouldn't other elves have made contact with humans in the past already?" Jongin exchanged looks with Sehun who had been listening intently. As much as the questions put a strain on Jongin, he had to admit that Sehun also always listened intently whenever Jongin explained something to him.

"So, this page reads, and I'm quoting: _ 'In some parts of Ireland, Britain and Germany there were fairy or spirit paths that while being invisible nevertheless had such perceived geographical reality in the minds of the country people that building practices were adapted to ensure they were not obstructed. A significant number of the characteristics of fairy paths are shared in common with ley lines. In many parts of Northern Europe the round barrows were the traditional homes of the fairies, elves, or trolls and were avoided by the country folk.[¹'](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_path)_” Jongin paused.

“So, you see, this talks of fairies and elves, so I don't think I can really distinguish. Anyways, let's get to the point of this article." Jongin began to read out another passage where he’d found the actual info that could be of use to them. _ "A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. The rings may grow to over 10 metres (33 [feet]) in diameter, and they become stable over time as the fungus grows and seeks food underground. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands.[²](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring)" _

At the mention of mushrooms, Sehun perked up.

"I remember there being mushrooms when I fell asleep. And there were also mushrooms when I woke up I think! I just don't know if they were arranged in a circle!"

"You're... right." Jongin squinted at his phone in thought. "Now that you mention it, I remember the mushrooms. I was surprised because usually they grow in autumn when it's wetter but still warm and they also don't usually grow in the direct sun but rather in the shadowy areas." That was about everything Jongin knew about mushrooms, but he felt quite proud about recalling that.

"We need to go back and check!" Sehun had already jumped up, looking at Jongin excitedly. Outside, the sun had already begun to set and Jongin realized that much more time had passed than he’d originally anticipated.

"Good idea. But first, let me continue reading this out to you. I found more." He stopped Sehun with a hand on his arm and watched as the other, although reluctantly, sat down again. Somehow, he had the feeling that the reason behind Sehun’s enthusiasm to return to the garden was based rather on the nature factor and not the necessity of checking for mushroom circles. Ever since they’d left the more rural areas behind, the other had started to look longingly at every plant they’d passed. Sadly, he wasn’t exactly talented in the _ ‘taking-care-of-flowers-area’. _ Regardless, Jongin made a mental note to buy a flower in case Sehun was still there tomorrow and this wasn’t just a fucked-up dream.

Once he was sure that Sehun was listening again, Jongin turned his attention back to his phone screen.

"There's this page called _ fairyroom.com _-"

"I'm not a fairy."

"I know but-"

"I'm not a fairy, fairies are tiny and annoying."

"Wait, fairies exist?" Jongin’s eyebrows shot up.

"Of course they do." Sehun stated with an almost offended expression as if Jongin had just asked him if the sky was really blue. He was pretty sure that up until now, Sehun hadn’t realized that all of this was pretty fucked up from Jongin’s perspective, but then again, he was only beginning to grasp how Sehun had to feel in a world with technology and without magic.

"Well, okay. Still, I think this might apply to you too. As I said, it could've gotten mixed up somehow." Jongin tried to soothe him. "Okay, now here comes the interesting part: _ 'In a legend from Wales dating back to at least the early 1800s, a human wanderer comes across a fairy ring and crosses the gateway to find an enchanted palace.'[³](https://fairyroom.com/2013/03/fairy-ring-portal-to-the-land-of-fairies/) _" "Did you hear that? A gateway to an enchanted place! Doesn't that sound familiar?"

Sehun hummed. "It does sound a little like our situation."

"Exactly!" Jongin nodded excitedly. This was starting to become like one of those escape room things, only that they were supposed to escape to a different dimension and not out of an artificial mystery room which had the option to let you out even if you failed to solve the mysteries. In real life, they didn’t really have that option.

Shaking his head, Jongin decided that it was senseless to dream about magically finding a button that would just send Sehun back to wherever he belonged.

“There's more.” He searched for the right paragraph where he’d found something rather interesting. “’_ In this tale, the fairy ring led the curious lad directly to the fairy palace, like a portal. In similar stories, the fairies invite the wanderer to their kingdom after dancing with him in the ring; in others, the fairy ring signals the presence of an underground fairy city' [³](https://fairyroom.com/2013/03/fairy-ring-portal-to-the-land-of-fairies/)_"

Jongin looked up. “So these portals, or fairy rings - excuse me, elven rings –“ He quickly added when he saw Sehun’s murderous expression, “those elven rings apparently can open gates to different places. You mentioned Seoul, right?”

Sehun nodded.

“But your Seoul wasn’t my Seoul.” Jongin continued. “Maybe it is the same Seoul, maybe it’s even at the same spot where your Seoul is, but we just live in two different dimensions. And for whatever reason, you walked into this portal and it brought you here. And now, all we have to do is find out how to use a portal to take you back.”

Just when the words left his lips, Jongin realized that in his head, all of that had sounded a lot easier than when he’d voiced his thoughts just now. But no matter how much it would take, he knew that the elf in front of him clad in a Nike shirt and grey joggers with his long, flowy silvery-blonde hair needed to get back to his home and Jongin was going to help him as best as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The sentences in italics are extracted from websites about fairy rings/folklore. I added the links after the quote, you just have to click the small numbers.   
Here's a list of the links again:  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_path  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring  
https://fairyroom.com/2013/03/fairy-ring-portal-to-the-land-of-fairies/


	4. Chapter 3

They ended up postponing their research session in favour of heading to bed.

Since Jongin was the owner of a miniature apartment with only one room serving as both bedroom and living room, they quickly realized that they were going to have to share Jongin’s bed. It took a little for Jongin to explain to Sehun how faucets worked and that running water came out of the wall and that it had nothing to do with magic, but what shook him most was when Sehun stripped butt-naked right in front of him to step under the shower after Jongin had just finished a detailed explanation of the mechanics on how to use a shower.

“Uh, I’ll be leaving you to it.” Jongin muttered, more to himself, when Sehun stepped under the spray of hot water, not without a blush creeping up his neck. His embarrassment only got worse when Sehun walked out of the bathroom in all his naked glory, proclaiming that he officially liked the mechanical magic humans had acquired.

With down-cast eyes Jongin had handed Sehun a pile of clothes he could wear to sleep that the other put on without any complaints. In general, Sehun didn’t seem to be bothered by body contact, but after his lack of shame concerning nudity it didn’t surprise Jongin in the slightest. _ It was probably an elf thing _, he figured. Or just a Sehun thing, Jongin wasn’t sure.

Mostly due to Sehun’s impromptu nap in Jongin’s grandparent’s garden, he wasn’t tired at all when they both slipped under the covers of Jongin’s 140 centimetres IKEA bed. Jongin almost regretted not taking a picture of Sehun’s astounded face when Jongin turned on his TV, the pictures coming to live on the flatscreen.

“If that isn’t magic, I don’t know what magic really is.” Sehun mumbled a while later. It was the last thing Jongin heard of him before he drifted off into a deep slumber, subconsciously snuggling up against Jongin. Somehow, he didn’t seem to mind it too much.

The following morning, Sehun was up at the crack of dawn already. By the time Jongin woke up, it was 9.30 am already, Sehun had apparently already examined every little niche of Jongin’s flat and more. A half asleep Jongin found himself being bombarded by 50 questions about how exactly that _ magical moving painting _ (the TV) and the _ sparkly bottled up stars _ (The lamps) worked. During a drawn-out breakfast, consisting of left-over cake Jongin’s mom had left him and a bowl of cornflakes, Jongin tried to answer Sehun’s questions as best as possible.

Right after breakfast, Sehun declared his wish to visit the garden again to examine the mushroom circle. He was only convinced to do some more research when Jongin promised to buy him a plant because _ “I feel nervous when there are no plants around, how do you even breathe?”. _

Because of his lack of ideas on how to proceed with the whole “Let’s-find-a-portal-to-change-dimensions” issue, Jongin had decided to finally text someone. There was no way he could keep this a secret, or he was going to go crazy. Therefore, right after their stop at the garden centre, Jongin had scheduled an impromptu meeting with his circle of friends. The three had immediately agreed, and Baekhyun had even offered his flat for their meet-up, most likely expecting them to end up gaming the whole night.

Oh, was he in for some fun.

The trip to the garden centre was the most eventful one Jongin could imagine having. It took exactly 1 hour and 42 minutes until Sehun had finally settled on a plant that he wanted to take home. As he’d explained to Jongin, elves had an intense connection with nature that went so far as to them literally living _ inside _ trees. Apparently, Jongin’s spooked expression was enough for Sehun to elaborate on that.

_ “Almost all our homes are built inside the trunks of large trees with the diameter of up to 5 or 6 metres. Some houses have one stories, some have two, most are continued in the tree tops in the form of tree houses. There are two conditions to that though: One, the trees have to consent to us using their physical shell as our homes, and two, the spirits of the trees must have moved on to a newer tree that we planted in order for the tree spirit to move on to.” _Sehun had explained to Jongin as they walked through an aisle filled with garden chairs and loungers. The old lady that passed them had stared at Sehun as if he was on crack. Jongin couldn’t really blame her.

Due to their close connection to nature and plants in general, it had taken Sehun a long time to sense the right flower for Jongin’s flat. According to him, there had to be the right vibes coming off the flower for him to know that it was willing to be taken to their home. When Jongin asked how exactly Sehun could tell, the elf had just responded that he just got that _ certain feeling, “you know?”. _Jongin didn’t really know, but Sehun was also kind of adorable when he stared at every single plant of a palette as if he was trying to read their minds. Which he essentially was, but he Jongin tried to not think about that too hard.

In the end, they left the gardening centre with a prettily potted violet and a strong desire to buy some coffee on Jongin’s side.

🍃🦋🍃

"What's your order?"

The cashier graced Sehun with a mildly interested look, the short quirk of his eyebrow giving away his surprise when Sehun came up next in line at the Starbucks that they’d stopped by to grab some coffee.

The problem was, Sehun had never had coffee in his life before, so when he stared at the cashier with big eyes, he didn’t even know what the other was asking of him.

"Uh..." Sehun started, but Jongin quickly took over. Of course, he’d known that Sehun would be at a loss, but before he could settle with Sehun what the other would like to drink, the queue had already progressed much more quickly than he’d originally anticipated so when Sehun had been the next in line, Jongin hadn’t even really registered it right away.

"He takes an iced chocolate frappe and for me an Americano, please." It was probably better not to give Sehun any coffee, because a) he might not even like the taste and b) Sehun was already asking enough questions without caffeine running through his veins.

"Sure that makes..." The cashier droned on as Sehun interestedly stared at all the cakes in the glass window of the counter in front of them. It didn’t take much guessing from Jongin’s side to guess what he wanted so he added a slice of chocolate tarte to their order and told Sehun to sit down at one of the tables to wait until they could pick up their order to go.

"Your names?" The cashier asked when Sehun was already halfway on the way to the table so he didn’t even hear the question anymore.

Both the cashier and Jongin followed him with their eyes with a bit of wonder in them.

"Just write Jongin on both of them."

🍃🦋🍃

Jongin should have already known that wherever they went, Sehun would be the main attraction.

"Jongin and Legolas." The Starbucks employee called out when their order was ready to be picked up. Instantly, Jongin’s face coloured.

"Fuck, that's us." He muttered, already standing up. Everyone at the Starbucks was staring at them, and Jongin was well aware of the few giggles that erupted when Sehun immediately followed him. It was rather obvious which one of the two had been referred to as one of the most popular LOTR characters.

"But I'm Sehun? Jongin- Jongin, what's a Legolas?" Sehun asked but quickly shut up when Jongin shoved the bag containing his cake and a cup with his iced chocolate frappe into his hand before dragging him out of the crowded café.

Once they were back in the car, Sehun had already forgotten about the comment again. He was too focused on his drink, having tried it already while walking. The look in his eyes reminded Jongin a little of when his little nephew had first played with an adorable puppy. To Jongin’s look, chocolate turned out to be exactly Sehun’s type of flavour.

🍃🦋🍃 

"Dude, that's a dope Legolas Cosplay."

Baekhyun’s eyes were fixated on Sehun, only flickering back to Jongin for a second as if to ask_ ‘Who’s that hot dude in my doorway?’ _.

"Jongin, why do people keep mentioning this Legolas thing- also what's cosplay." Suddenly reminded of the incident at Starbucks, Sehun stared at Jongin in confusion. Jongin, however, was definitely not in the mood to explain the relation between Sehun and the character of a fantasy trilogy that would only serve to create more questions in its waking.

"Baekhyun, would you please let us in? I'll explain in a second." He replied instead, sending Sehun an apologetic smile. Baekhyun only gave Jongin a funny look before he nodded and stepped aside.

"Sure, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo arrived just a few minutes before you too. I already brought out the Soju and beer."

"Good, we're gonna need it."

Of course, Chanyeol had to state the obvious, too.

"Fuck-, that's a totally casual Legolas Look!" He shouted the moment Jongin and Sehun entered the room. In only one second, he was up on his feet to walk over to Jongin to pull him into a big hug while also staring at Sehun with unconcealed interest.

"That's what I said too!" Behind them, Baekhyun stepped into the room and gave Chanyeol a high-five.

"Why am I dating you again?"

On the couch, right where Chanyeol had jumped up a second ago, sat Kyungsoo. As long as Jongin could remember, his two friends Chanyeol and Kyungsoo had been dating. As different as they might seem to be at first, they had a certain kind of dynamic going that miraculously worked for them, making them the couple that had dated for the longest time in the entirety of Jongin’s small but tight circle of friends.

"Don't act like your any less of a nerd than I am." Chanyeol instantly pouted at his boyfriend’s comment. His eyes were still on Sehun though, clearly interested why an Asian version of one of his favourite movie characters was currently occupying the space in Baekhyun’s living room.

Behind them, Kyungsoo let out a snort.

"Well, at least I don't feel the need to sleep in Zootopia bedsheets."

"It was only a suggestion!" Chanyeol whined, his pout only intensifying. Thankfully, Baekhyun decided to change the topic, obviously bored by their typical banter. There was something that was way more interesting than the bedding of the Do-Park household.

"Stop arguing, Jongin needs to introduce his hot new friend to us." A shit-eating grin had appeared on Baekhyun’s face as he let himself fall onto the couch next to Kyungsoo to get comfortable. "Or is he your new boyfriend? Oh my god!" He exclaimed in excitement. Jongin wanted to punch him.

"He's not my boyfriend."

"I'm Sehun." As if on cue, Sehun bowed a little to them. Apparently, elves were fans on proper etiquette too.

"Hi Sehun, nice to meet you." Baekhyun grinned and bowed his head to him as well. "Any reason for you to walk around in that casual Lord of the Rings inspired Legolas Outfit? I mean, the wig does look very realistic. Now that I think about it, those are the best prosthetic ears I've ever-"

"I'm an elf." Before Baekhyun could even finish, Sehun cut him off.

"Good joke, dude." The grin on Baekhyun’s face got even bigger and even Chanyeol had stopped pouting at this point.

Now, Jongin realized, came the hard part. Clearing his throat, he prepared himself to be called insane, because even though those three were his best friends, they weren’t ready to believe any shit he told them right from the get-go.

"That’s the thing.” He scratched his head. “It’s true, he is an elf."

It took about forty minutes until every single question they had had an answer to had been answered. After Jongin’s explanations on how he’d found Sehun and what they’d gathered about the situation so far, silence had fallen upon them.

"I need more alcohol." Kyungsoo was the first to speak up. Some of the Soju spilled when he filled their glasses, foregoing the lemons Baekhyun had already cut up and presented on a plate and downed the glass in one go.

"I can't believe you found a naked elf in your grandparent’s backyard." Of course, Baekhyun had to return to the nudity part. Jongin could’ve guessed it.

"I can't believe it either." Jongin laughed dryly. To his surprise, none of the three had called him insane or crazy right away. They’d listened to him patiently and had even seemed rather interested in whatever Sehun had to say when he chimed in to add details from his point of view to the story.

"You're fucking with us. You gotta be." Chanyeol looked the most spooked out of the three. If Jongin had had to guess, he would’ve expected Chanyeol to be the one to believe him the fastest.

"It's 100% legit." He insisted when his friend shook his head.

"It can't be." Chanyeol muttered.

"It is."

Slightly annoyed by their distrust, Sehun rolled his eyes. "You can tug on my ears if you want. For some reason that convinced Jongin." There was a slightly reproachful tone to his words, but he didn’t seem too bothered by it. "But please be gentle." He added as an afterthought.

Chanyeol raised a brow. "Uh... I think I'll trust you without tugging on your ears, thanks."

"Says the one who gets a boner when someone touches his ears." Once again, Kyungsoo managed to make Chanyeol pout in an instant.

"Soo!"

"Spill all the details, Kyungsoo!" Baekhyun cheered, momentarily forgetting about the elf sitting on his couch.

"As if you don't talk to Baekhyun about our sex life anyways..." Clearly not giving a shit about Chanyeol’s embarrassment, Kyungsoo brushed his boyfriend’s complaints off with a wave of his hand.

Even though Kyungsoo was technically right, Chanyeol wasn’t ready to admit that. "I know but-"

"We're drifting off topic, guys." Jongin intervened before this conversation could turn into a relationship crisis "This is serious."

"As serious as I can take you saying you found someone lying in your grandparent’s gardens completely naked and stating he's from another dimension." Cocking his head to the side, Baekhyun fixated on Sehun although Jongin had been the one speaking.

Even Kyungsoo had to agree with that. "I hate to say it, but I agree with Baekhyun. It sounds crazy."

"How are we supposed to help you with that, Jongin?" Chanyeol added. "It's not like we have any experience in creating magical portals to fairy land."

"I'm an elf!" The elf’s brows furrowed.

"Sorry Sehun - magical portals to _ 'elf _' land."

As if the insult had woken Sehun’s spirits, he decided to actively join the conversation again. "Don't you have a historical library or an elder council documenting such important and rare cases?"

"We only have the internet, and let me tell you, it's fucked up." A giggle escaped Baekhyun, and Jongin had no doubt that the other was thinking about porn.

Enthusiastically, Sehun jumped up as if the mention of a strategy on how to proceed had revitalized him. "Then let's go to that internet!" He looked at the group of friends with newly found energy. "Lead the way, Baekhyun."

"Uh..." Said man stared at Sehun, not exactly sure if he was messing with him or not.

Once again, Jongin realized that he had some explaining to do. "The internet doesn't really work like that. Do you remember those texts I showed you on my phone?" He asked but when Sehun didn’t show any signs of recognition, he sighed. “The little glowing metal tablet with moving pictures and words?" He added. "That was the internet."

At the visual description, realization dawned on Sehun. "Oh... I like the internet."

"Who doesn't?" Baekhyun laughed lightly and grabbed a bottle of beer for himself. Jongin wished he could drink too, but he still had to drive.

"And you really didn't find any weird rituals online?"

"None of the kind that seemed actually helpful."

"I'm afraid to say it, but I don't think we're of any help, Jongin." Kyungsoo gave him a pitiful look.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t known that yet, but somehow, Jongin had hoped that one of them would magically find the perfect solution to their problem.

"I was already expecting that somehow... I just... I don't even know where to start."

"Maybe you two should really just head back to the shed and see what you can do? Maybe you'll find something that can give you a hint on how to proceed."

Chanyeol’s words left Jongin thinking. Maybe he was right, and the answer to all their problems could be found in the garden of his grandparents. Somehow, he had the irking feeling that it wasn’t going to be that easy though.

Just when he’d decided to head to the abandoned garden first thing in the morning, he remembered his earthly obligations.

"I have to head to work tomorrow. Can one of you take Sehun for the time being?"

Three pairs of eyes stared at him as if Jongin had just asked them if it was okay to drown a littler of kittens in Han river.

"We're at work too." Kyungsoo stated matter-of-factly, but it was clear to Jongin that both him and Chanyeol looked more than relieved to have a reasonable excuse not to take in a stray elf.

To Jongin’s surprise, Baekhyun chimed in. "I can take him." He offered, and sent Sehun a friendly smile.

"Are you sure you can handle-" Jongin started, but he was quickly interrupted by Sehun’s look which left little to imagination about how he felt about being talked about like he wasn’t even in the room.

"You talk about him like he's some pet." Chanyeol added as if Jongin hadn’t already started to feel bad about it immediately.

Sending Chanyeol a thankful sideways glance, Sehun nodded. "I can take care of myself. I already learned how to use the little glowing metal tablet."

"You see, he can handle a smartphone." Chanyeol added in Sehun’s favour but Jongin quickly shut them down.

"He managed to play one level of candy crush before he almost accidently deleted all of my pictures."

"Well..." Even Chanyeol couldn’t find a response to that.

"The thing is, I would take you to work if I could. But I can't. You can take your plant with you to visit Baekhyun. He can teach you more about our world." For some reason, Jongin felt the need to make sure that Sehun didn’t feel unwelcomed. Ever since they’d entered his friend’s flat, Jongin had mostly talked to his friends, and it wasn’t his intention by any means to make the elf feel left out. Yet, the thought of taking Sehun to work with him didn’t sit well with him at all.

His attempt to soothe Sehun seemed to work. The other’s blank expression turned into a warm smile and he put his hand on Jongin’s arm as if to signal him that it was okay. "That sounds nice. I want to learn more. It's a very interesting world, although I must admit it is partially very disturbing and ugly."

Kyungsoo snorted and raised his glass. “Let’s toast to that.”


	5. Chapter 4

"Baekhyun is a really nice person. I understand why he'd be your friend. He's good at explaining stuff too."

Maybe that was because Baekhyun was a kindergarten teacher, Jongin thought.

Sehun and Jongin were on the way to Jongin’s grandparent’s garden. Right after work, Jongin had picked Sehun up at Baekhyun’s flat. At the door, he’d been greeted by a beaming Sehun and a rather relaxed-looking Baekhyun, and apparently, the two had gotten along perfectly.

"What did you guys do all day then?" He asked, taking the next exit to take them to the highway. It was stiflingly hot today, and Jongin realized that maybe summer hadn’t left the city streets just yet.

Sehun was staring out the window, watching as more and more cars rushed past them. If Jongin had to describe himself as a driver, he had to admit that he was more of the senior type of driver that preferred to drive slowly and panicked whenever something happened that he wasn’t ready for.

"We watched the lord of the rings movies. Now I know why people keep calling me Legolas." Sehun turned his head to look at Jongin, looking impossibly pleased.

"I should've expected that somehow, I think." Jongin couldn’t help but laugh. "Did you like it?"

"Yes." Sehun nodded, thinking about it for a moment. "Some of the scenes reminded me of home, yet there were many differences too."

“Why don’t you tell me a little bit more about your home then?” Jongin asked.

Like this, they spent the remaining drive chatting about Sehun’s version of Seoul. Apparently, the city in which Sehun lived wasn’t comparable to the modern cities, not only because of the lack of technology but mostly due to its size. While Sehun reported that Seoul was already the biggest city in their kingdom, he also admitted that he’d never imagined to step foot into a city as big as Jongin’s Seoul.

Not only the flats of the common folk were built in trees, also the palace turned out to be built in and on top of not only one but three extremely large trees. Jongin couldn’t really picture it yet, but judging from Sehun’s description, the centre-tree of the construction was at least four times larger than Jongin’s entire apartment. It made him wonder what kind of trees those were, but most likely, there was some kind of magic behind their creation anyway.

According to Sehun, every single stone, every single strand of grass, even a single drop of water was filled with magic. Of course, the magic often only flowed through objects, but apparently, some special people were able to wield it. Those were the kind of people that made up the elder council once they’d reached the age of 77. It was a magical number to the elves, as Sehun explained, because in the year 1194, an elf named Yifan conquered the land and became the first emperor of the Elven empire. The number 77 became important when Emperor Yifan crowned his son Luhan as the next emperor at the age of 77 while normally, the throne would have only been passed on to his son after his death. Yifan, however, had realized that Luhan was now more capable of leading the empire, so out of free will and with only the best in mind for the elven folk, he decided to step back and let his son rule the empire. Due to this act of wisdom and kindness, the age 77 had been regarded as the age of entering a stage of wisdom only those could master which had walked on the earth for 77 years already. As Sehun had told the story of his people’s history, his eyes almost seemed to glow. Only at the mention of the elder council something seemed to cloud them for a moment, but as quickly as it had flashed over past eyes it also disappeared, and Jongin wondered if maybe he’d just imagined all of it.

However, it was not only the elder council that could use magic. Sehun, too, was able to manipulate the magic around him, he disclosed, although it was exclusively limited to the power of the wind. Proudly, he proceeded to explain to Jongin how his ability to control the wind helped his father with his work as a gold smith, since he could easily strengthen or weaken the wine simply by regulating its oxygen supply through the wind. As he listened, Jongin couldn’t help but think how cute Sehun looked as he excitedly talked about how he and his father and older brother worked together to create the most beautiful and intricate designs in all of Seoul.

As they talked and talked, they didn’t realize how quickly time rushed by, and when Jongin took the turn that would take them down the stony path to his grandparents garden, he found himself wishing that they hadn’t reached their destination yet. Somehow, talking with Sehun felt almost soothing, and he wasn’t sure if it was because Sehun’s stories sounded like they came right out of a fantasy novel or because it was just really easy to listen to Sehun’s soft voice.

🍃🦋🍃 

"There are mushrooms, but it's not a circle."

Sehun stared at the group of mushrooms adorning the grassy area in Jongin’s grandparent’s garden where the other had found him fast asleep just two days ago.

Jongin frowned. "I can see that too."

"Well... What do we do now?"

That, Jongin thought, was a really good question.

"Maybe we can take a look around?” He suggested. “Around the garden, I mean. We should split up. One of us looks through the shed, the other looks through the flower beds, or to be precise, what is left of them.”

“Sounds good to me.” Sehun agreed, and when Jongin asked whether he had a preference where he wanted to look around, Sehun denied, so Jongin didn’t feel all to bad when he assigned the shed to the elf. It had looked kind of dusty, and if there was one thing that Jongin majorly disliked, it was bugs, and to be even more precise, spiders.

There wasn’t much else they had to discuss, so they decided to split up just like they had agreed. After only ten minutes, Jongin already regretted not choosing the shed, because the sun burning down on his neck as he searched the ground for literally anything – he wasn’t exactly sure which things indicated a fairy portal or magic – he realized that the shed probably brought a lot more shade and less bugs, because _ surprise _, bugs liked flowers too.

Yet, about thirty minutes after they’d begun their search, Jongin heard excited yells coming from the wooden shed.

“Jongin! Jongin come here!” Sehun’s voiced echoed through the wild garden. “I think I found something!”

Hurriedly, Jongin straightened up. It only took three more calls of Jongin’s name until he’d finally made it to the shed, pushing the old door open. It gave way with an eerie squeak.

Only a few rays of light filtered into the shed, and for a second, Jongin wondered how Sehun had even managed to find something of use in the darkness.

The electricity had been cut off after the death of his grandparents, and he wasn’t sure if the water connection still worked either. The old lamp dangling from the low ceiling of the dusty shed looked like it stemmed from the previous century, much like the rest of the inventory.

The work bench and the shelves adorning the walls were covered in a thick layer of dust. The only traces that anyone had entered the shed where the lines where the dust had been swiped off where Sehun had moved objects to look through them in the search for anything of use.

Tools were hanging on one of the walls, held up only by rusty nails that competed against the worn-out tools for the trophy of _ “rustiest-artefact-in-the-shed”. _

Jongin had stepped behind Sehun, looming over his shoulder. Like this, he realized that Sehun was just the slightest bit taller than him was.

"What did you find?"

Turning his head, Sehun’s face was suddenly so close to Jongin’s that their noses almost brushed together. Surprised, Jongin took a step back and waited for Sehun to turn around to face him instead. He wasn’t exactly sure if the spooked look on Sehun’s face stemmed from their sudden proximity or from the fact that he might have found something that could be of help to them.

"At first I wasn't sure if I was mistaken, because I didn't know if there could be a similar copy of it, but then again, the craftsmanship is one of a kind so it confused me because I was sure I'd recognize it anywhere. But then I saw the seal so I knew and-"

"Get to the point, Sehun."

The elf took a deep breath.

"I found an amulet, and it was crafted by my family. Judging by the sign, it was created by my great-grandfather. My family's seal is on it, and the initial of each person that crafted it gets added to it with a smaller, individual seal. This one right here-" He halted and held up a small amulet. Jongin couldn’t really make out the exact shape of the necklace, because all he could focus on was the small imprint in the golden surface. "is my great-grandfather's. I'd recognize it anywhere."

There, on a fine line of gold, was a miniature signature imprinted in the shiny surface reading the letters OSM. They had to be the initials of Sehun’s great-grandfather, the fine lines in an old-ish looking calligraphy reminding Jongin of the Lord of The Rings. Who knew, maybe Tolkien had been an elf himself.

"How does an elven amulet with your grandfather's seal engraved in it turn up in my grandparent's shed?"

Their eyes met, and they only broke eye contact when Sehun looked down to examine the amulet again. It was round and there was a small stone let into the gold in the centre of the necklace. Thin lines of cold held it there in intricate patterns that looked almost floral, and Jongin had to admit that if that was truly Sehun’s family’s work, they were insanely skilled gold smiths.

"I have no clue." Jongin mumbled, staring at the piece of jewellery in Sehun’s hands. How did he notice only now how slim and delicate Sehun’s long fingers looked as he gentled the necklace ever so gently. It looked as if he was holding something alive, something vulnerable, and he wondered if that approach to his craft was what made his family’s work so blindingly beautiful.

"Could it have been brought here by a portal too?" Jongin suggested.

"I guess that would be possible. But why would you send a piece of jewellery through a portal? I assume there was an actual person attached to it." Without that, the act of opening a magical portal and sending only an inanimate object without much use to it seemed rather unconvincing, at least to Sehun.

"But besides my grandparents, nobody really used this shed? Sure, my parents were in here a few times, maybe even one of my grandparent's friends. But still, why should they leave an elven gold amulet here?"

"I don't know. The only reasonable explanation would be that I'm not the only elf that landed in your grandparent's garden. However, this person could have showed up here in the span of-" Sehun quickly calculated the amount of time based on his great-grandfather’s age and death date "exactly 87 years."

"That's a pretty long span of time." Jongin frowned.

"Exactly."

"And you never saw your grandparents wearing this kind of amulet?"

"I can't remember..." Jongin’s brows furrowed even more as he tried to remember. At first, he’d been extremely sure that he’d never seen the piece of jewellery before, but suddenly, a faint memory popped up in the back of his mind. "Now that I think of it... I think I can recall my grandmother wearing it on the day of my sister's wedding? But it could've been something else too. I'm wouldn't vouch for it." Other than that, he couldn’t remember ever seeing the piece of jewellery neither on his grandmother nor on his grandfather.

Thoughtfully, Sehun stared at the speck of gold in the palm of his hand. "I see. That doesn't really help."

As much as he disliked admitting that, Jongin had come to the same conclusion. Although the finding had made him feel hopeful at first, he realized that maybe, it had been of no help at all but only managed to add more confusion to the mixture of feelings he was already experiencing. "Where did you find the amulet?"

"Ah, it was in this small box. The design of it reminded me of typical elven carving, so I got curious and opened it. Besides the amulet, there was nothing inside."

Sehun picked up a small box from the workbench where he’d put it down when he’d found out about the piece of jewellery inside. The carvings on top of the box looked eerily similar to the ones on the amulet, and Jongin wondered if it was a typical Elven style of artwork.

It bugged him, but besides a pretty looking necklace, Jongin began to think that they’d found nothing of use. The thought annoyed him, but he tried not to let it show when he looked at Sehun again, sending him a smile to hide his disappointment.

"Okay. Well, maybe we'll find something else that can be of more help. Let's continue looking here together, I doubt there's anything in the flower beds. This shed is our best chance to find something, it seems."

🍃🦋🍃

"This is useless. We've been checking the same drawers and boxes over and over again." Jongin let out a frustrated grown. "Let's go home."

For the past hour, they’d looked through every nook and cranny without finding anything but bug corpses and more rusty gardening tools. To say that Jongin felt disappointed was the understatement of the century.

"Alright. I don't think we'll find more than what we did already. It's a start though, isn't it? Maybe this will help me to get home." In contrast to him, Sehun at least tried to sound motivated.

Only because of that, Jongin decided to pull his shit together. If there was anybody that had a right to complain, it was Sehun, because it was him that was so far from home without any chances of returning any soon, and yet it was Jongin who felt like whining like a little child just because they hadn’t made much progress at all.

"Yeah, it's a start.” He nodded, straightening up from where he’d been kneeling in front of a cupboard. Dusting off his pants, he looked up, belatedly realizing that Sehun had been watching him the whole time. “At least we now know there was someone else from your world before, and it had to be less than 100 years ago."

"That's still a lot of time." Sehun pointed out.

"It is. But it's better than having no hint at all."

🍃🦋🍃

They were halfway back to Seoul when Jongin almost stood on the breaks at Sehun’s sudden shouting of his name.

"Jongin." The elf half-yelled. "Jongin! I think- oh god, how could I be this stupid."

The car behind them honked at Jongin’s sudden slowing down, and when the guy drove past him during overtaking showed him the middle finger, Jongin didn’t even notice because he was too focused staring on Sehun with tightly knitted brows.

"What?" He grumbled, averting his eyes back to the street so he wouldn’t cause another almost-crash. He didn’t have to look to the side though, because Sehun practically shoved the tiny box containing the golden necklace into his face.

"There's something written on the backside of the carved box!" Sehun breathed. "And I think it's an address."


	6. Chapter 5

"There's something written on the backside of the carved box!" Sehun breathed. "And I think it's an address."

Probably having realized that Jongin couldn’t really drive with a wooden jewellery box shoved into his face, Sehun had pulled his hand back, clutching to the box as if it was an important archaeological finding.

"An address?" Jongin asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Yes!"

He turned his head for a second to glance at Sehun, then the box. "Read it out to me, maybe I recognize it!"

As it turned out, Jongin didn’t. The address that Sehun read out to him didn’t sound familiar in the slightest. He wasn’t even really sure what he had expected, but he’d somehow hoped to get some more info out of that.

"Shit. I have no clue where that is. I've been to that area before, but I can't pinpoint where exactly it is right now."

"Let's go there!" Enthusiasm laced Sehun’s voice, and Jongin had to suppress a soft chuckle.

"Right now?" He retorted. "It'll be dark by the time we'll arrive in Seoul."

A defiant pout spread on Sehun’s lips. "So what?" Like this, Jongin couldn’t help but think that Sehun looked kind of cute like that. The pout stood in a stark contrast to his sharp features, only underlined by his silvery, flowy hair. There was something majestic about him, something that Jongin couldn’t pinpoint, but from what he had seen of Sehun so far, only his looks were what made him seem almost unreachable. His character, at least from Jongin’s point of view, was open-minded, and if he was being quite honest, he respected him a lot for keeping a cool head even while being so far from getting back home.

"I don't think it's a good idea. We can't just ring at random people's houses at 10pm, especially if we don't even know what to ask for." Jongin pulled his eyes away. It would be tough to explain to a police officer if he were to initiate a crash because he hadn’t looked at the road but Sehun’s small but plump lips instead.

"But we do know what to ask for?" There was a slight hint of restlessness in Sehun’s voice, but coupled with his pout, it only came off as even cuter. Jongin couldn’t really take it seriously.

"Yeah? What exactly would you ask then?"

Sehun rolled his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing. "I'd ask them to tell me how to open an elven portal."

"You see, and that's where things could turn to shit." Jongin snorted. "Who knows how long that address has been written on that box. Maybe whatever was at the address isn't even there anymore."

At that, Sehun took a moment to think before he replied. "Can't we... Ask the the internet? That Google thing!" He sounded triumphant, as if he felt proud for remembering the correct name. Jongin let out a genuine laugh.

"Actually... That's a good idea." He grinned. "You're adapting quickly, young padawan."

"What's a padawan?"

🍃🦋🍃

They had to wait to check the address until they’d arrived back at Jongin’s flat. On the highway, Jongin had given Sehun his phone to try and Google the address, but when the maps app opened up and Sehun somehow managed to activate the navigation by accident, he dropped his phone in surprise when the device in his hand suddenly started talking. After that, mostly for the safety of his phone, Jongin had let Sehun put it aside again, waiting until they arrived home so he could google it himself.

Like that, they were now huddled up on his couch, Sehun pressing against his side to get a better glance at the phone screen. Jongin had noticed it before, but Sehun apparently had no qualms about initiating body contact. Usually, he disliked being so close to people he’d just met days prior, but with Sehun, he realized he didn’t mind at all.

"It's a shop... Like, one of those esoteric ones. The first things showing up on the website are crystals, incense and pendulums." Jongin stared at the small screen. They’d ordered food and where now chewing on their fried chicken happily while Jongin scrolled down the screen with greasy fingers.

"So?" Sehun didn’t understand how that was possibly a negative thing.

"I have no idea if that's going to be of help."

Picking up another piece of fried chicken, Sehun pointed it at the phone screen. "But the address was on the box."

Jongin eyed the box with fried chicken. They’d almost eaten up all of it. Maybe he should’ve ordered more… "Maybe the box has nothing to do with it though?" He asked, licking hips lips absentmindedly.

"But it's typical elven craft. It has to be from my world."

"Maybe it's a huge coincidence."

"Just like me waking up in your grandparent's garden being butt naked was a coincidence? I don't think it was. How could it be when suddenly, you find another elven artefact in your grandparent's shed with my great-grandfather's signature!" Sehun deadpanned.

"That's... a lot of coincidences." Even Jongin had to admit.

"Too many, to be precise."

"Ugh." Jongin grumbled, putting down the phone momentarily to grab another chicken wing. They’d also ordered noodles, but somehow, they both seemed to prefer the chicken. "You're right."

"That's probably a good thing though. Cause like this, the chances that we'll find something out at the address seems higher than it just being a random address." Sehun had gotten up, and for a second Jongin wondered what he was doing until he realized that Sehun was walking towards the window sill to pick up the watering can. Returning to the table, he calmly watered the plant he’d bought with Jongin. For some reason, it seemed to have doubled in size already although they’d only had it for one day. Jongin was pretty sure that it was some elven magic, but Sehun had reassured him that ever since he’d entered Jongin’s dimension, he had lost all his magic powers since he wasn’t able to control the wind anymore. The growth of that plant, however, definitely wasn’t normal, but until now, Jongin hadn’t commented on it yet.

"You're right. We'll go there right after work tomorrow." Looking away from the plant, Jongin realized that there was only one piece of fried chicken left. Sehun’s and his eyes met, and although it pained him, he gave Sehun a small nod, signalling him to take it. Quickly, the elf put the watering can down and grabbed the last piece of chicken, a small satisfied smile spreading on his lips. It made Jongin smile, too.

"You have to work again, huh?" It seemed like the thought hadn’t even occurred to Sehun yet. Thoughtfully, he chewed on the piece of chicken as he stared at the pretty flower in contemplation.

"Of course, I do. But actually... I think I'll be able to take you with me tomorrow." Before Jongin could even really think about it, the words were out already. He hadn’t intended to take Sehun to work with him, and he wasn’t even exactly sure how it was supposed to work out, but somehow, he also didn’t want to leave him with Baekhyun for the whole day again. He told himself that it was only because he didn’t want to bother Baekhyun with it anymore, but he knew that the main reason was that he wanted to spend more time with Sehun.

There was just something about him that Jongin couldn’t let go. He wasn’t sure if it was the different world Sehun came from, or if it was this innate softness Sehun seemed to exude while simultaneously looking like he could beat your ass without batting a lash – something drew Jongin in.

Apparently, Jongin’s proposal had taken Sehun by surprise. "Really?"

Jongin nodded. "Yeah."

"I can help you if you need help with something."

While Jongin was pretty sure that he didn’t exactly need Sehun’s help while calculating and organizing the production of the large company he worked for, he knew that Sehun wouldn’t really be a bother at work either. He had an office to himself and even if his boss came in to ask, she was a rather chill lady and Sehun seemed to be naturally quite charming, so he didn’t think it was going to be problematic.

"We'll see about that." He smiled at the other.

Sehun nodded, opening his mouth as if to say something but closed it again. A second later, he seemed to have made up his mind.

"Can I take the plant?"

"...okay."

🍃🦋🍃

"This is the address."

The shop with the name _ ‘Seoul’s Secrets’ _ was located in one of the poorer suburbs of the capital. There wasn’t anything particularly inviting about the shop which looked quite displaced in the street filled with small, family-owned restaurants and hair salons.

"It doesn't look very... Magical or anything." The look that Sehun graced the shop with was less than impressed. Jongin had to hide a chuckle.

"What did you expect? A huge sign reading _ ENTER HERE FOR A TRIP TO ELF LAND _?"

"Shut the fuck up."

Sehun’s harsh words made Jongin halt, and he turned his head. Had he just broken an elf rule by being teasing and playful? Sehun had never cursed like that before.

"Um...?"

Sehun turned his head, eyes comically wide. "I was trying to adapt? I thought this is what humans do." He tried to explain and Jongin couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

"Wow, just two days ago you were complaining about my vulgar language, now you're telling me to shut the fuck up. You're adapting very fast." Just the thought of Sehun trying to speak in a rude way to fit in made him crack up even more, and his sides were beginning to hurt from giggling.

"You're my idol. I just try to fit in." Sehun rolled his eyes. "And apparently, humans prefer to speak in a lowlier language."

It took Jongin another minute or two until he’d calmed down enough so they could enter the shop without embarrassing the shop right from the get-go.

Once inside, the intense smell of some kind of floral incense assaulted their noses, and for a second, Jongin contemplated leaving the shop right away already. Before he could do that, the small guy behind the counter had spotted them already, and the smile he graced them with was so bright that Jongin was able to see past the olfactory abuse.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" The man had come up from behind the counter, grinning first at Jongin, then Sehun. When his eyes landed on the latter, they widened but he didn’t comment on it. Jongin wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign.

"Well... we have this kind of weird request..."

The man’s smile only seemed to grow brighter. If he hadn’t seen it, he wouldn’t believe it to be possible. "Believe me, nothing's truly weird. Let me know what you're looking for, and hopefully, I'll be able to help you."

Jongin cleared his throat. "You see, we're looking for..."

In just 15 minutes, they managed to break down their issue to the man that had introduced himself as Kim Jongdae. The man, quite a bit shorter than both Sehun and Jongin, continued to listen to them patiently as they laid out the story behind their issue for him. In-between, he nodded and hummed in understanding, asking a question here and there if he didn’t understand something right away. Yet, not once did he look like he didn’t believe them. Jongin was more than surprised.

To their luck, they were the only customers in the small shop. Still, after they’d finished their story-time, Jongdae had asked them to follow him through a door at the back of the shop. Jongin hadn’t even noticed it at first. It was well hidden, located behind a curtain with a weird painting that reminded him more of a mural than a decorative curtain.

"This is the part of the shop that isn't opened for most customers."

The room that had opened in front of him was quite different from the first one. Here, it didn’t seem like they were in a shop anymore but it rather felt like stepping into a backroom of a museum where artefacts were kept that either didn’t have a spot in the current exhibition or were excluded for other reasons. Countless shelves lined the walls, and if Jongin wasn’t mistaken, he could spot a weirdly deformed human skull in the second shelf to their right in the top board. Quickly, he averted his eyes, instead focusing on Jongdae again.

"I didn't even know something like this existed in Seoul." Astonishment laced Jongin’s words.

"Well, that's the whole point of it. You're not supposed to know about it."

Considering there were bones in shelves, and knives that were probably used for rituals – Jongin had spotted them just a second ago when he’d glanced past Jongdae’s head – he wasn’t exactly surprised by that.

"So, do you remember selling this box?" Apparently, Sehun had had enough of their chit-chat. Jongin couldn’t blame him, they were there for a purpose after all, but at the same time, the room and the many seemingly random objects inside fascinated Jongin.

To get a better look at the box, Jongdae took it from Sehun’s offering hands. Turning it around in his palms, he hummed. "I don't remember selling it myself, but it looks like elven craft. We do carry some elven artefacts, however, I can't guarantee that it's from our shop. The fact that the address is written on the backside suggests it though. Usually, we don't do that, but if there was the need for it, I don’t doubt my parents or grandparents could have done that."

"If you carry elven artefacts, how do you receive them?" Jongin wondered.

At that, Jongdae motioned them to follow him to one of the shelves on the backside of the room. They stopped in front of the shelf, and even Jongin could recognize the familiar patterns that he’d seen on the box and the necklace already. "Some of them were inherited and have been in the possession of my family for a long time. While I am not of elven blood anymore, there used to be an elf in my family's bloodline two centuries ago.” Picking up a small knife with intricate patterns on the handle, he held it out for the two of them to examine as if Jongin had any clue how to recognize an original elven knife from a fake one.

Sehun let out a low whistle.

"So technically, you're an elf."

"I'm like 1/10th of an elf at most." Jongdae laughed, the corners of his lips curling up.

"But still." Sehun insisted. Before Jongin could realize what was going on, Sehun had stepped forward to put his left hand on Jongdae’s right shoulder. Only when Jongdae proceeded to do the same, Jongin understood that this probably was some kind of greeting. The smile that Sehun sent Jongdae when the other reciprocated his made something churn inside of Jongin. Quickly, he swallowed down the thought that it might be some kind of jealousy. Why would he be jealous? It didn’t make sense.

"So what can I help you with?" Jongdae, who’d let go of Sehun, was smiling at them. It appeared to Jongin like Jongdae was actually happy about their visit to the shop. From the looks of it, the shop didn’t have too many clients, so an actual elf showing up with a request was probably a huge event for him.

“We need to find out how to get Sehun back to his home. Which apparently is in another dimension, at least from we gathered. We assume that he came here through a portal” Jongin explained again although they’d already informed Jongdae about that just a few minutes ago.

"May I ask why exactly you ended up here? There are only few reports of elves showing up in our world."

Jongin sighed. "If we knew, we might not have to be here."

"I see." Raising a brow, Jongdae looked at Jongin first, then Sehun. It looked like he was contemplating something, but Jongin couldn’t decipher the expression on his face.

"Do you have any idea how we can take Sehun back?" He asked when the shop owner didn’t speak up after a few seconds.

Jongdae cleared his throat. "Well, as you already mentioned, a portal is most likely the best options. There are other ways, but they include dark magic and may be dangerous. It's better to stay away from that side of magic."

Dark magic definitely didn’t sound like something Jongin wanted to delve into. Normal magic seemed complicated already, they didn’t have to venture to the dark side right away. There was a bad Star Wars joke on the tip of his tongue, but for the sake of Sehun who most likely wouldn’t understand it he swallowed it down.

"Do you know how we can open a portal?" At the mention of dark magic, Sehun’s brows had furrowed but he’d relaxed again after Jongdae’s explanation. Now, Jongin could see the determination in his eyes, and although he liked the soft look in them, this one suited Sehun too.

With a grin, Jongdae pointed at the shelf behind them.

"I don't, but I have a book that probably does."


	7. Chapter 6

"I can't believe this is going to work." Jongin stared at their creation. For 40 minutes, they’d kept rearranging everything until they were one hundred percent sure they’d done everything correctly. Now, only the last step to open the gate was missing.

Next to him, Sehun pressed his lips together, looking thoughtful. "Me neither. It looks... plain.”

They shared a look, and then Sehun leaned forward to finish what they’d started.

🍃🦋🍃

It had taken a full two hours until they’d left Seoul Secret’s again, two old books in a white plastic bag that Jongin had to take back to the shop once their plan had succeeded. While Jongdae hadn’t had an idea right from the get-go, he’d quite effectively sorted through the books on the shelf with the elven artefacts.

Jongdae had explained to them that none of the books were actually written by elves, yet he was sure they could be of great help. In the middle of the room stood a large oak desk, and when Jongdae had figured out which books to grab, they’d huddled over the table, skipping through the pages and scanning endless rows of words.

The moment Jongdae’s finger stopped on a worn-out page with a drawing filling out almost half the page. A triumphant smile had spread on his lips, and the other two had hunched closer, listening closely as Jongdae began to read out the text to them.

An hour later, they’d walked out of the shop with newfound determination, Jongdae standing in the store window as he watched them leave, hoping that they’d be able to pull it off what they’d mapped out together.

🍃🦋🍃

_ "Elven craft, ancient and strong, _

_ Will take you where you want, _

_ No matter where you're from. _

_ You shall wait for the wing _

_ Within the circle of life, _

_ The one and only Elven ring. _

_ Speak the lines, loud and clear, _

_ Speak them loud for the gods to hear _

_ When the skies become one, _

_ You shall pass through the gate, _

_ Follow the rules, _

_ And ancient magic shall be done."_

Sehun read out the lines in the book when he laid in bed at night next to Jongin. He had read through half the book by now, and Jongin wondered if Sehun usually didn’t have access to sources about the history of the people like that normally. In general, there were many things he wanted to ask, and all of a sudden, time seemed to run too fast for him to get everything out that he wanted to say or learn about the other.

It was probably weird, because Jongin didn’t really know him well. They’d only met a few days ago, yet here the were, chatting about this and that, Sehun watering his plant that he’d promised to leave for Jongin who had to guarantee him that he wasn’t going to let it die, and somehow, Jongin wished that maybe Sehun could stay a little longer.

“The wings part sounds pretty cool. Jongdae said it was going to be a kind of bird, right?” Sehun turned his head to look at Jongin lying next to him.

“Yeah, I think so. That’s the thing about your books, your wording is so vague.” Jongin leaned closer to get a better look at the book. At this point, the lack of Sehun’s existence of a minimum comfort zone didn’t surprise him anymore. Therefore, he wasn’t surprised when Sehun just snuggled closer, basically tucking himself against Jongin’s chest so they could both look at the book more easily. The human’s face heated up, but he didn’t comment on it anymore.

“It’s not vague, it’s poetic.” Sehun replied and turned a page. It was the one Jongdae had looked at in the shop when they’d first found some info about portals. On the page, Jongin could see the circle again, created out of small stone pebbles.

Turning his head a little, Sehun glanced at Jongin behind him. “Let’s just hope all goes well tomorrow.”

🍃🦋🍃

They ended up having to postpone opening the portal to the next day due to a summer storm. He could’ve guessed it already, but for the duration of Sehun’s entire stay, Jongin had been too preoccupied to check the weather conditions. However, they’d both agreed that waiting another day would not make a huge change so the next day, Sehun found himself once again in Jongin’s office, together with his small flower pot on his lap.

The previous day, nobody had commented on the long-haired man accompanying Jongin into his office and Sehun had been so interested in what Jongin was doing that he hadn’t seen a fault in taking him with him the second day in a row. By now, Jongin had also gotten used to Sehun’s constant questioning of their surroundings and he’d grown to like answering the questions, no matter how absurd or obvious their answers were.

Halfway through his time at the office, Baekhyun had texted him if he wanted to go out that night. In their group chat, Jongin had already informed his small friend group that the _ ‘Take-Sehun-back-to-his-own-world’ _ plan had been postponed due to weather complications.

Jongin’s initial thought had been to decline the offer. Sehun and a club were two concepts that he somehow just couldn’t match up in his head, but now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn’t such an awful idea after all. Sehun wanted to see their world, Jongin hadn’t been out for ages – it was a win-win situation.

That’s how they ended up in one of Seoul’s underground gay bars with Baekhyun, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. When Jongin had informed Sehun about their plans for the night – he’d just told him they were attending a celebration, Sehun hadn’t really understood what a party or club was – the elf had immediately begun to egg Jongin on to buy him hair bands because apparently, it was elven culture to braid your hair for public celebrations. In the end, Sehun ended up with a complex, impeccably braided hairstyle that Jongin’s sister would probably be jealous of. In addition to that, Sehun was sporting some of Jongin’s clothes and Jongin was once again reminded of how attractive Sehun actually was.

Already upon greeting them, Baekhyun proceeded to crack countless wordplays with the word elf. After only five minutes, Jongin could feel a headache coming up, but Sehun seemed to be amused by _ ‘Have some elf-confidence!’ _ when a guy asked Sehun out for a dance and the elf quickly declined or the one time Kyungsoo and Chanyeol exchanged a quick kiss (Kyungsoo wasn’t very keen on pda), Baekhyun couldn’t resist belting out a “ _ Keep your-elfs together!” _

By the end of the night, Jongin had a more than tipsy Sehun in his arms, dancing to the music that he had called weird just hours ago and almost grinding against him like everyone else on the club did with their dance partners. It would have made him feel more confused if Jongin hadn’t had one too many mojitos too, so instead, he just went along with it, Sehun’s admittedly supple bottom pressed against his front.

When his eyes met Kyungsoo’s across from him on the dance floor, his friend just sent him a knowing look.

🍃🦋🍃

The clouds in the sky that had riddled it the previous day had fully disappeared. A soft breeze ran through the trees of the garden as if to greet Sehun. The temperature was mild, not warm enough to wear shorts but also not cold enough to need a jacket. After the large storm, it had cooled down, and outside of Seoul, it was at least two degrees colder anyways.

Birds were chirping in the trees. According to the book, the ritual to open the portal didn’t take much time at all, but the both of them wanted to make sure to get everything right so they’d planned in enough time beforehand.

The thought that Jongin hadn’t been to his grandparent’s garden this often even in the accumulation of his visits in the past few years irked him. Although he considered himself a family person, it had never occurred to him to pay the lonely garden a visit, very-well aware of how much it had meant to his grandparents. It wasn’t like he hadn’t visited them, no, it was more that he seemed to have forgotten the entire existence of the estate.

Now, surrounded by wildflowers and bursts of green, he began to value the place as the spot of escape from the triste city life his grandparents must have seen it as. Once all of this was over, he promised himself, he was going to take care of the flower beds again, maybe restore the old shed or even build a new one. He wasn’t skilled in such physical labours, but he didn’t doubt that it would be therapeutic.

Also, it was going to remind him of Sehun. The elf had only showed up a few days ago, yet Jongin couldn’t think of the garden without associating it with him. For his entire life, he’d viewed the place as something that was entirely reserved for his childhood memories and just like this, Sehun had brought in a new perspective. Who knew, maybe he’d find another elf again as he hammered a nail into a wooden board to repair the run-down shed. While the thought was entertaining, Jongin already knew that he would be disappointed if that elf wasn’t Sehun who came by to say hi.

Next to him, Sehun neatly placed small white pebbles in a perfect circle. One of the books from _ Seoul’s Secrets _ had contained a detailed instruction on how to open a portal to the _ otherworld _.

_ Otherworld _ was a term that had repeatedly come up as they’d skipped through the hundreds of pages of the ancient book. Jongdae had explained to them that the term was commonly used to refer to the land, or dimension as they’d called it, of the elves and other magical beings.

As Jongdae had also elaborated, there were several ways to create gateways between their world and the _ otherworld _. Most of them contained black magic, something that Jongin only knew from movies and books and Sehun had heard of in tales his parents had told him. They’d both quickly agreed that they wanted to open the portal in the tamest way, so here they were, creating a perfect circle out of exactly 123 white stone pebbles they’d picked up at the construction store.

The instructions in the book had seemed considerably easy. Almost too easy, Jongin had thought, but quickly had pushed the thought aside

To open the portal to the _ otherworld _, one had to create a perfect stone circle by laying down 123 white pebbles. One thing they had to consider was putting the stones down counterclockwise. Once they had put down exactly 122 pebbles, the last one still missing, they were supposed to fill a small bowl with dried fruit and nuts and place it in the almost completed circle. This was supposed to be an offering to the spirits of the forest, and Sehun hadn’t looked spooked by the part, so Jongin had silently accepted it.

It had been ten minutes they’d completed the circle and the offering minus the one missing pebble they were supposed to add once they were ready to open the portal. What happened after that, the information in the book had been very vague. The only thing that they had found about the part after closing the circle was the poem Sehun had read out two nights ago, and none of the two had been able to make much out of it.

_ "Elven craft, ancient and strong, _

_ Will take you where you want, _

_ No matter where you're from. _

_ You shall wait for the wing _

_ Within the circle of life, _

_ The one and only Elven ring. _

_ Speak the lines, loud and clear, _

_ Speak them loud for the gods to hear _

_ When the skies become one, _

_ You shall pass through the gate, _

_ Follow the rules, _

_ And ancient magic shall be done." _

Jongin read out one last time, more to himself than to Sehun. Originally, he had wanted to check if they’d missed anything important, but still, the poem didn’t tell him much at all.

Next to him, Sehun was awfully quiet.

Only yesterday, he had seemed so eager to return to the _ otherworld _. Now, he looked worried, almost anxious. Jongin wondered if it was because of the trouble he could be facing for having disappeared for so long or if it was because of something else. For some reason, he didn’t dare to ask though.

“Can you do me a favour, Jongin?”

Putting the book down, he looked up only to catch Sehun looking at him. His face was unreadable again, like it was so often. Jongin wondered when the other had learned to hide his emotions so well.

“I promise I won’t let the plant die, I told you already.” He attempted a joke, but the look on Sehun’s face quickly made him become serious again. “What is it?”

“Can you step into the circle with me? It’s just… I’m nervous.” Sehun didn’t meet his eyes, looking at his feet instead. It was kind of adorable. “It’s not like anything will happen to you anyways.”

It was true that Jongin would be unaffected by whatever happened in the circle. The book had been very clear about it that anyone who was not of elven blood was unable to travel through the worlds, so technically, there was nothing to worry about on Jongin’s side. Still, he felt uneasy.

“Are you sure nothing is going to happen?” He asked, not straight-out refusing the request just yet. Something in Sehun’s voice had told him that the other really wanted him to stand by his side when they opened the portal.

_ "Void of elven blood, _

_ Entering the path is forbidden, _

_ This way, for strangers, _

_ It shall remain hidden."_

Sehun recited the poem from the book. Jongin didn’t know when the other had learned it by heart, but when he scanned the page of the book again, he realized that every single word was correct. Although he still felt a little stressed out by the thought, he gave in.

“Okay. But only because I can’t stand seeing you pout.”

It was Sehun who put the last pebble into the perfect circle. The idea of fairy circles being circles of mushrooms had been established through a misunderstanding when someone mistook the white pebbles making up a fairy circle as white mushrooms that had naturally grown.

Both held their breath when Sehun put down the last white stone. What happened next, they wasn’t sure. All they could do was wait, so they did.

And they waited.

And waited.

“We did everything correct, didn’t we?” Jongin asked carefully after a minute or two had passed and nothing even remotely mystical had happened.

“I think so.” Sehun nodded, but his voice sounded uncertain.

“Maybe we should- oh, look!” Jongin had been about to suggest doing it again when he spotted the beautiful, yellow butterfly.

It fluttered their way, first circling around the circle of stones before passing the line. For a second, Jongin expected it to land on the ground when it began to sink lower in the air, but to his surprise, it steered towards the bowl with nuts and dried fruit.

Silently, they watched as it landed on a piece of dried mango, residing their for at least half a minute before beginning to rise into the air again.

He half expected it to leave the circle again, so when the butterfly steered towards Sehun, his eyes grew wide as he remembered the lines of the poem.

_ “You shall wait for the wing _

_ Within the circle of life, _

_ The one and only Elven ring.”_

_ The wing. _ The butterfly was the wing, he was sure of it. Sehun seemed to think the same thing, his eyes wide as he watched the majestic insect flutter towards him.

It was then when he seemed to realize that he hadn’t even said goodbye yet, and when Sehun turned his head, there was wonder and thankfulness in his eyes.

“Before I go back, I want to thank you for everything. You were the one who made it possible for me to-“

But Jongin didn’t hear the end of it.

Just when Sehun had opened his lips to start his little thank-you-and-goodbye speech, the butterfly had sudden halted and changed its course.

Jongin didn’t even feel it anymore when it landed on his arm.

In just a millisecond, the world turned black.


	8. Chapter 7

“Baekhyun! Something went terribly wrong!”

The phone in his hand was shaking. With trembling fingers he’d pulled it out of the depths of the bag outside the now empty elven circle. He’d struggled to unlock it, the shakiness of his limbs making it hard to hit the correct numbers on the keyboard.

It seemed to take forever until the other man had picked up and it took even longer until he managed to get out the sentence in a speed the other could fully understand.

Silence filled his ears for a moment as the receiver of the call didn’t say anything right away, and he almost wondered if the call had disconnected. Then Baekhyun spoke up.

“What’s going on? I’m at work right now.” He sounded slightly stressed, but he couldn’t focus on that now.

“It all went wrong, Baekhyun.” He paused, sinking down onto his knees. Kneeling, he took a deep breath.

“It’s Jongin. The portal took Jongin instead.” Sehun whispered.

🍃🦋🍃

“And you’re sure the book said it doesn’t work on humans?”

It had taken more than an hour for Kyungsoo and Chanyeol to show up at Jongin’s parent’s garden. After several failed attempts of sending Baekhyun his location, Sehun had finally managed to send him everything that the other needed to send out Kyungsoo and Chanyeol to pick him up. Baekhyun himself wasn’t able to do so since he was still stuck at work but after a quick call with the other two, they’d immediately agreed to pick Sehun up.

Now, with Sehun in the backseat of their car, he still hadn’t calmed down one bit. During the time he waited for them to arrive, he’d looked around the entire garden for Jongin but of course, he hadn’t been there. It was like he’d never even existed in the circle next to him. One second, he’d been there, the other he was gone. Just like that. Sehun hadn’t been able to believe his eyes at first.

It shouldn’t have worked on humans, but apparently it had. Maybe the books had been wrong, maybe- Sehun’s train of thought got interrupted when Kyungsoo repeated his initial question. Only then he realized that the other two were expecting an answer.

“Yes! It shouldn’t have worked on him but only me! Oh god.” Tears welled up in his eyes once again. After his call with Baekhyun, Sehun had broken out into tears. It had taken several minutes for him to calm himself down but even when Kyungsoo and Chanyeol had led them to their car, his eyes still had looked suspiciously puffy.

“It’s my fault.” Sehun continued. “I asked him to step into the circle with me.” A small hiccup from crying interrupted his flow of words. “It’s my fault. I asked him to step into the circle with me.” From the front seat, Kyungsoo handed him the second tissue already.

Angrily, Sehun wiped at his eyes, huffing in despair. “All of it happened just because I was scared. I should have told him the truth, maybe I should’ve just stayed here- but I had to go back, I had to tell everyone what I saw-“

“Calm down, Sehun.” Chanyeol had slowed down a little. They were on the highway already, on their way to Seoul. Sehun didn’t even know where he was supposed to stay without Jongin.

“You’re not making any sense right now.” Kyungsoo added, and Chanyeol nodded.

“What did you need to tell everyone?”

For a moment, the only sounds filling the car was the radio playing some song from the charts. Kyungsoo turned it off, turning his head to stare at Sehun.

Clearing his throat, the elf realized that now was probably the time to finally tell them the truth.

“I think… It wasn’t entirely accidental that I ended up here.”

🍃🦋🍃

_ It wasn’t rare for Sehun to enter the palace. The large tree construction never failed to awe him, and when he stepped inside, a certain feeling of magic lingered in the air, much stronger than outside. He sometimes wondered if it stemmed from the many spirits of long-gone elven kings and queens lingering around, but then again, it could’ve been the forest spirits coming to dine in the shrine in the west wing of the palace too. _

_ Due to his family’s close connection to the palace in terms of being the royal gold smith, Sehun was often chosen as the one to personally deliver the new goods the king had requested. His mother and father always wanted to send him since everyone used to call him cute when he was little and most of the royal maids serving the king and queen still seemed to think that way, always offering him little snacks and drinks when he arrived at the palace. _

_ As nice as it was to be cared for by middle aged ladies, Sehun often felt burdened by the visits. Once he entered the royal grounds, there was certain etiquette he had to follow. More than just once he’d personally met the king, and whenever that happened, his heartbeat in his chest heavily as he bowed as deeply as possible before he delivered the finest jewellery his family could offer. In those moments he stood in front of the king, Sehun had always had the feeling that something was off. _

_ One day, just when he was supposed to deliver a ceremonial golden dagger, he understood why exactly he’d always felt that way. _

_ He hadn’t intended to eaves-drop, truthfully, Sehun would have never believed to do so as easily when the king was involved, but just two days before he was taken away from his home by a portal, Sehun heard a conversation between the king and his right hand that would forever change his life. _

_ “Can you believe it? Today, it has been exactly 55 years since the old king died.” The voice of the elven king rang through the door. The two guards that had been warding said door had just left because of loud noises coming from the hallway ahead of them, and Sehun, who was supposed to deliver the item, was left alone to listen to the conversation. The door was slightly open as if someone had forgotten to properly close it and Sehun could hear every single word rather clearly. _

_ “I still can’t believe how easy it really was. Poison was a really good choice, the symptoms were exactly the same as the diagnosis the healer suggested to be the cause of death.” This time it was the king speaking, and just a moment later, muted laughter filled the room. _

_ “A disease… we didn’t even have to come up with a reasonable explanation. Everything just fell into place.” The king’s right hand, a man so old he had been a member of the elder council for years and years, sounded smug. _

_ Outside the king’s quarters, Sehun had begun to realize what exactly the two were conversing about. 55 years ago, long before he had been born, the reigning king had died a sudden death. The official cause of death had been a sudden heart attack, something that had seemed plausible as the heart problems had been common in the royal family at the time. Apparently, the king’s death hadn’t been all that natural after all. _

_ “I still can’t believe the brother never returned. I never expected him to be such a coward.” More laugher filtered out from the room, and Sehun took a step back from the door. Hectically, he looked around to see if the guards had returned but he was still alone in the hallway. _

_ “He knew what would await him if he ever returned.” Sounds of glasses clinking against each other resonated in the air. “And even if he tried, the spell that we put on him was strong. Even if he managed to open a-“ something crashed inside the room, and curses filled the air. Sehun couldn’t understand the next few words the King had said, only catching the last few syllables. “And if he did, we would have made sure to take care of him, just like we did with his brother.” _

_ Again, glasses clinked together, and Sehun could hear a chuckle. _

_ “Long live the king.” The king’s right hand cheered silently. _

_ “Long live the king.” _

_ In that moment, someone tapped Sehun’s shoulder and he turned around, eyes wide. The two guards had returned, and Sehun swallowed down the sudden fear welling up when they knocked on the door to let him into the King’s chambers. _

_🍃🦋🍃_

By the time Sehun had stopped talking, Chanyeol had long stopped the car on a highway parking lot. The two had silently listened as Sehun had elaborated on what he’d seen just two days prior to him randomly waking up in Jongin’s garden. Although he hadn’t told Jongin and the other’s, Sehun had already expected that what he’d heard been the reason for his sudden disappearance. He had no clue how long the guards had been standing there again already, so he wasn’t sure if they’d realized how much he’d heard and if he could make any sense of it, but it had seemed awfully suspicious to him that he got caught in a magical elven portal just shortly after eaves-dropping the king that apparently had murdered the rightful king 55 years ago with the help of his right hand.

"So you're saying that you overheard the king talking about how he killed the actual king and got rid of his brother too so he could become king." Kyungsoo deadpanned.

"Yes."

"The King only became king because of that? He wasn't the original heir of the throne?"

"Yes."

"But you got caught as you eaves-dropped?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't consider mentioning that to us before?”

"Yes. I mean-" Sehun halted, feeling new tears well up in his eyes. "I wasn't sure if- I wasn't sure if I could trust you. It could have been that you were hired by the elven king to find out what I knew for real. Or maybe even to kill me!" Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down. "But then you guys turned out to be so nice, especially Jongin, and you even wanted to help me return to home where I needed to get the word out- it's all my fault."

"You should've told us-" Kyungsoo started but Sehun interrupted him.

"I know!"

"-but I understand why you didn't." The smaller man let out a drawn-out sigh. "I'm still not sure why it was Jongin who disappeared and no you though. Although what you just told us is a huge problem, it doesn't solve the problem at hand. We have to get Jongin back somehow."

Now, that was easier said than done. Silence fell upon them as they all sunk into deep thought. It was Sehun who spoke up first again.

"We should've tried creating another portal. Maybe it only works when one person is inside." He mumbled. It irked him that he only thought of that option now that they were far from the garden again. Technically, they could open a portal anywhere, but both Jongin and him had figured that it would be best to do it where he’d initially landed.

"But the book clearly said only people of elven blood were to travel with the portal." Kyungsoo had read through the pages during the car ride, making sure that the two hadn’t missed out anything important. However, he’d come to the same conclusion that if they hadn’t messed up the steps somehow, everything should’ve worked out just fine.

"There are two options then. 1) the book isn't telling the truth, or 2) There is Elven blood in Jongin's bloodline." Chanyeol looked at his boyfriend first, then Sehun before his eyes widened almost comically.

"Wait- you said the king's brother disappeared 55 years ago." He breathed, staring at Sehun in disbelief. "What if that person was Jongin's grandpa?"

Kyungsoo frowned. "That's a little far-fetched even for you, Yeol."

Before Sehun could comment on it, Chanyeol shook his head vehemently. "It's not that far-fetched, I think. Timewise, it could work. It would also explain why Jongin was able to pass through the portal to the otherworld."

They were quite again for a second, contemplating the chances.

"That's right! It would also explain why you guys found the elven necklace made by your family in his grandparent's shed!" Chanyeol added to emphasize his point.

"Fuck, that's right." Kyungsoo muttered.

While the two humans thought about that could lead to Jongin travelling through the portal, something else entirely had popped up in Sehun’s mind.

"Oh god. I can't believe it. That means, Jongin is technically the only legitimate heir of the throne in the otherworld right now."

"If they find out about him, he's in trouble. Big, big trouble." Chanyeol breathed. They looked at each other, their worry suddenly doubled.

"We have to get him out of there."

🍃🦋🍃

After picking Baekhyun up from work, the small group immediately headed to _ Seoul’s Secrets _. Upon arriving, they realized that the shop was closed but when they rung the doorbell Chanyeol had spotted next to the opening hours, it only took about three minutes for a jogging-pants clad Jongdae to open the door for them.

"We need your help, Jongdae." Sehun rushed to say before the other could even greet them.

Jongdae, who looked like he’d just woken up from a nap, frowned. "Sehun! Weren't you supposed to be back home by now already?" He suppressed a yawn. "Where's Jongin?"

"That's the thing. Jongin is probably there now, and I'm still here. Now, we need your help to find out how exactly that happened."

It took a lot longer to research their issue this time around than when they’d looked for ways to open a portal. Chanyeol had been excited as a little kid when Jongdae led them into the hidden part of the shop and even Kyungsoo had looked mildly impressed. Now, just like he had together with Jongin and Jongdae, the small group was huddled around the table in the backroom skipping through seemingly endless pages of ancient books to figure out how to solve their problem. It was Jongdae once again who found something that sounded like it could be of help to them.

"It seems like someone put a curse on you that stops you from returning to the otherworld. This is probably the reason why only Jongin was taken." He declared after scanning a chapter about elven curses with his eyes.

"A curse? But when-" Sehun had no idea when someone could’ve put a curse on him. Only the thought of being cursed left a weird taste on his tongue.

"Possibly when you were napping. I assume it happened shortly before you travelled through the portal." Jongdae shrugged as if cursing someone was the easiest thing in the world to do. Since Sehun had literally no clue about black magic, he wasn’t sure if it was difficult, but somehow he thought he could sleep better at night if he knew that cursing people was as difficult as finding the solution for world peace.

"And... Can we reverse the curse?" Chanyeol asked carefully. All the talk about curses and magic left him both equally spooked and in awe. Baekhyun seemed to take it similarly, while Kyungsoo looked almost unimpressed.

"Well, I assume it is possible. According to the book, casting the spell is a lot easier than reversing it. However, it's not impossible." Jongdae held out the specific passage on the page that had caught his eye.

"Not impossible doesn't sound exactly easy." Sehun mumbled, leaning closer so he could take a look at the text. He just hoped that it wasn’t written in rhyme form once again.

With a laugh, Jongdae turned towards him. "I wouldn't say it's too difficult, but I don't think you'll like it."

🍃🦋🍃

"What do you mean I have to get a rune tattooed?"

Just the thoughts of tiny needles penetrating his skin a thousand times made Sehun feel nauseous. Tattoos weren’t rare for elves, they were actually a rather popular fashion trend at the moment, but the elven methods weren’t remotely similar to the ones used by humans nowadays. Therefore, the horror of being tattooed manually with a slim wooden or metal tool made Sehun almost have new tears welling up in his eyes only at the thought.

"It's the only way to overcome the curse. The rune protects you from the black magic behind the curse and also other kinds of it. See it as a win-win situation."

By now, all five of them had read the passage in the book over and over again. It stood there, black on white, but Sehun still wished he could just ignore that.

Apparently, Sehun’s shocked face was enough for Chanyeol to pull up his sleeve and show off his tattoos to him while proceeding to tell him how tattoos were made in their day and age. It still sounded scary to Sehun, but it did seem better than what elves usually did.

"And I really just have to get a tattoo?" He asked after he’d listened to Chanyeol’s tattoo-story-time. He wasn’t fully convinced, but in the end, did he even have a choice? "It doesn't matter how its tattooed?"

"I think so." Jongdae nodded. There wasn’t anything written about that in the book, so he assumed that the magic stemmed from the rune itself and not the act of tattooing.

Baekhyun, who seemed to be the only one enjoying the newest developments, grinned brightly.

"Well, Sehun, I guess that means we have to book you a tattoo appointment!"

🍃🦋🍃

He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep. It was as if he’d awoken from a slumber so deep he couldn’t remember having one similar to that since he was a child and there weren’t worries clouding his mind at night yet.

In the trees above his head, the birds sing-songed their eternal tunes as Jongin slowly came to his senses. Sunrays hit his head through the thickly leafed tree-tops, and shadows danced in front of his eyes as he blinked his lids open, the bright sun almost blinding him although he lied in the shadows next to a large tree trunk.

The scent that filled his nostrils was foreign, yet it smelled so inviting that Jongin took a deep breath. Never before had he smelled such a thick, earthy scent, one that meant trees and flowers, grass and roots. He didn’t have to look around to know that he was no longer in the garden of his grandparents.

Jongin was now in the _ otherworld _, and when he heard a cracking somewhere behind him, he knew he wasn’t alone anymore.


	9. Chapter 8

Hastily, Jongin got up on his feet. The sounds were still far away, but the cracking in the thicket gave away that something was approaching, and it was approaching fast.

Jongin wasn’t even sure why the thought put him into panic mode. Maybe it was the fact that he’d just travelled through a portal into an elven world when it should’ve been Sehun who went there, or maybe it was the realization that he was stark naked. He hadn’t even noticed at first, but apparently, travelling with portals meant losing everything you had on your body that wasn’t an actual part of it.

_ The book should’ve mentioned that, _ Jongin thought as he looked around, not sure where he could go without being caught. Caught by who, that was the question, but just the thought of being captured stark-naked in a forest by strangers didn’t seem very appealing to Jongin.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He cursed under his breath. The sounds behind him had gotten louder now, and if he wasn’t imagining it, he could also hear voices.

He took a step forward, not sure where to go. Wherever he looked, there were just trees. Deep green surrounded him, interrupted by hues of brown and slivers of sky blue.

Had Sehun really not travelled with him? He wasn’t sure. The butterfly had landed on him, not Sehun, and the other hadn’t been there when he’d woken up. The other wouldn’t leave him behind in a foreign forest, would he? A billion questions were shooting through Jongin’s mind.

One step forward, then another one. His legs still felt heavy, as if they hadn’t quite woken up from his slumber just yet. Another step, and Jongin halted again. Where was he even supposed to go? Maybe those people could help him, Sehun had been nice after all. Why was he running from them?

_ I’m an intruder, _his rationality told him, but Jongin wasn’t sure if he could trust it this time. Even if he escaped whoever was coming closer, who knew if he was going to survive what came after it? He was in the middle of the forest with no orientation at all. He didn’t know how far the closest city, town or village was. He was lost, and maybe those people he could help. The voices that were now a lot better to understand, were the ones that would help him find footing in this new world. Who knew, maybe they were Sehun’s friends looking out for him-

Behind him, a voice made him stand still. He had barely made it out of the circle of pebbles, barely made it from the spot really, and Jongin realized that he hadn’t really had a chance to begin with.

“Hold up your hands and turn around. If you move or try anything remotely funny, we won’t hesitate to attack.”

With a thundering heartbeat, Jongin turned around. A sinking feeling in his stomach hit him, and he realized that those people were certainly not Sehun’s friends.

🍃🦋🍃

The palace of _ otherworld’s _ Seoul didn’t look like Jongin had imagined it. Although Sehun had tried to describe the beauty of the building that wasn’t an actual _ building _, like Jongin understood it, but rather a naturally grown and then manually manipulated construction of trees. The sheer beauty of it overpowered the fear he had been feeling during the whole walk only for a moment when he first laid eyes on it.

To his luck, the soldiers of the Royal Elven Army that had captured him had given him some clothes. He wasn’t sure if he could actually call them that, they looked more like torn apart and then sewn together pieces of spare fabric, but it was far better than being fully naked. Especially when the group of six soldiers had led him into the city. It had to be the capital, they’d been walking for hours and hours.

Even though the sun had begun to disappear already, Jongin could still properly make out everything in the city they’d entered. Maybe it was the glimmering of the thousands of candles that created the magical atmosphere, or it was something in the air that he couldn’t quite pin-point, but Jongin was sure that he’d never seen so much beauty in just one spot, both hand-made and crafted by nature.

Upon finding him, the soldiers had asked him several questions about his person and where he was coming from and where he was headed. He’d answered truthfully, in retrospect he maybe shouldn’t’ve, but Jongin somehow doubted that they’d believed anything he could have said. Due to his foreign appearance, they’d quickly identified him as non-elven. That, without the permit to trespass into the Kingdom of the Elves, they apparently had the right to capture him, as one of them helpfully explained. Although Jongin now knew why he was being captured, it didn’t help him much with his situation though. There was no way he was going to receive a permit, cause where should he even get that from, and there was definitely no one that was going to vouch for him that he was just a harmless visitor entering their territory by accident.

At first, the soldiers had looked rather sceptical when he’d told them that he’d come through a portal. Even when he’d showed the circle to them, they didn’t believe him right away. It reminded him of Sehun and how he told him that the common people weren’t supposed to know about the existence of certain things, and once again, Jongin wished the other were here with him.

As they walked, Jongin kept asking and asking again where they were taking him. Seoul, was the response every time and only know he could begin to understand what Sehun must have felt when Jongin had taken him to the place that pretended to be his home but couldn’t be further away from it.

A small crowd had gathered in the city, close to the palace. It seemed like word had gotten around that a human had been captured, and Jongin could hear the whispers of the elves around him. He felt like an animal at the zoo, like an attraction, but when they’d disappeared into the depths of the palace, he thought the feeling would go away, but he could still feel the stares in his back, this time from the palace servants.

The soldiers handed him over to the royal guards. Someone was going to come and interrogate him, he was told. Until then, he’d be taken to the palace-owned prison. Jongin listened and nodded, because what could he do anyways? During the walk to the city, he’d already tried to explain that this was just a huge misunderstanding, that he was a friend of Sehun, the goldsmith’s son. The soldiers only raised their brows, but had otherwise kept quiet.

As they walked deeper and deeper into the earth beneath the palace, Jongin grew more hopeless. When the guards pushed him into his small cell, grown out of the roots of the gigantic trees that made up the palace and formed by the magic of the elder council, he knew that without Sehun’s help, he wouldn’t be able to get out of there anytime soon.

_ Sehun, _ Jongin thought _ , I wish you were here. _

🍃🦋🍃

“Why did you enter the elven grounds without legal permission?”

Jongin didn’t know how long they’d been at it already with the question. The amount of time that had passed between them throwing him into the dungeons underneath the palace and dragging him to a different, even less comfortable room to interrogate him was something that Jongin couldn’t quite grasp. It could have been an hour, maybe ten. Since they’d taken him into the depths of the palace, without any sunlight to rely on, Jongin had lost all orientation.

Technically, the questions they asked him weren’t difficult to answer. The only problem was that whatever Jongin told them, they didn’t seem to accept it although he was telling them the truth. What bugged him most was that they continued to repeat the questions, asking him the same things, sometimes just with different wordings, again and again.

Also, the interrogators seemed to be rather interested in his connection with Sehun. Although Jongin had somehow hoped that his involvement with the goldsmith’s son could be of use and help him to be freed more quickly, he realized that somehow, it seemed to have only dragged him deeper into this mess. While he didn’t know what exactly interested the interrogators so much about Sehun, he knew that it had to be important for them, otherwise they wouldn’t put so much stress on asking several questions about the elf.

“Did you Oh Sehun send you here?”

“No!” Jongin’s voice threatened to break. The exhaustion had finally caught up with him, and with every question that he’d already answered at least five times, ten times, he could feel his resolve breaking. He wanted to eat something that wasn’t just some weird dried root they’d given him and he didn’t want to drink the water with the weird brown tint to it any longer.

“Where is Oh Sehun right now?”

“I don’t know! We meant to come here together but he wasn’t there when I woke up-“

A loud bang behind him made Jongin shriek, his shoulders pulling up as he stared at the door that had just banged open behind him. There, clad in robes with silver embroidery, stood a man, probably older than at least 80, if Jongin had to guess. If he’d seen him walk on the streets, he wouldn’t have thought him to have that much power, but even now, Jongin’s ears were still ringing from the sound of the powerful blow to the door.

“Bow your head for the right hand of the king.” One of the two interrogators hissed at Jongin, who immediately complied. He didn’t dare to look up even when the older man addressed him.

“The human that trespassed into our woods… what do we do with you…” He reached out, his long, wrinkly fingers tilting up Jongin’s chin to make him look at him.

Their eyes met for a moment, and Jongin wondered how this man could be the right hand of the king. The only thing he could see in his eyes was iciness and calculation. They were void of any warmth, something that Jongin always thought to be essential to rule and support a country.

It was Jongin who first broke eye-contact. There was something in the old man’s eyes where he would’ve suspected wisdom and empathy, and it sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn’t stand looking into the man’s eyes any second longer.

“Did you get any information out of him?” The old man asked. His voice was deep, a little rough, but the words were clear and loud.

“He keeps repeating himself.” One of the interrogators explained. If the situation hadn’t been so hopeless, Jongin would’ve snorted and told him that maybe he kept repeating the same answers because they kept _ repeating the same questions. _

“I see.” The old man had let go of Jongin’s chin, his eyes still focused on him though. It almost looked like he was searching for something, as if the last puzzle piece was missing for him to see the whole picture. He squinted.

“You remind me of someone I used to know a long time ago, human.” Something about the tone of his voice told Jongin that it wasn’t a compliment. He looked up, just to see the hint of a frown hush over the old man’s features. Then he turned around, leaving Jongin behind tied to a chair with the two interrogators in front of him.

Before he left the room, he turned around one last time, his eyes fixating Jongin.

“We will find out what you’re hiding, even if I have to do it myself. Do not hide the little goldsmith’s son from us, or do you value your life so little that you are willing to give it up for a traitor?” He paused. “Consider my words well, human.”

🍃🦋🍃

_ Traitor. _ The word rang in Jongin’s ears, over and over again. Why had the right hand of the elven king had called Sehun a traitor?

After the appearance of the old man in the interrogation room, they’d decided to end the interrogations for the day – or night, Jongin wasn’t sure. When he’d returned to the small cell, he realized that someone had thrown some hay onto the wooden bed. It was still uncomfortable, but it felt a little better than lying on the hard surface without anything cushioning it.

Although he was tired to his bones, he couldn’t immediately fall asleep. Something about the word traitor in relation to Sehun just egged him on. Had he been so wrong about the other man? From what he’d learned about Sehun in the short amount of time, Jongin somehow couldn’t believe it. The other’s almost childlike interest in Jongin’s world, his love for his little plant and the way he’d immediately gotten along with Jongin’s friends had been enough for him to believe that Sehun was a good person.

Had his intuition been so wrong?

When he finally fell asleep, his dreams were confused, and he woke up again and again, every time with just one word in his mind.

_ Sehun. _

_🍃🦋🍃_

“It was kind of cute how he wanted to keep the plant next to you the whole time.”

The group’s visit at the tattoo parlour had been quite eventful. To their luck, they’d gotten an impromptu session at Chanyeol’s preferred tattoo artist the following day already because one of his clients had cancelled.

Because Sehun had insisted to take the plant from Jongin’s flat with him – _ “It also needs to be watered, I can practically feel its leaves drooping!” _ – they’d picked it up with Kyungsoo’s spare key and then had taken Sehun to the tattoo parlour.

The tattoo artist had looked a little spooked when three grown-ass men showed up to support their long-haired friend to get a tattoo done. This time, even Sehun could laugh when the tattoo artist asked if he wanted to get a portrait of Legolas tattooed above his ass or something like that. When he saw the image of the rune, he quickly told them that it wouldn’t take too long.

When he asked them about the placement of the tattoo, Sehun explained that he wanted the rune to be placed a little below the space between his shoulder blades so that it was similar to the height and placement of his heart. In the book, they hadn’t been able to find any information about the placement of the tattoo, initially, but from god knows where, Jongdae had lastly produced a book that explained that such magical tattoos, especially for cursing or curse breaking were supposed to tattooed close to the responding chakra points of the body. Since the chakra point for love and healing was apparently the heart chakra point, they’d settled on the spot on his back.

The size of the rune had the approximate diameter of maybe three and a half centimetres. When the tattoo artist was done and swiped over the irritated, red skin one last time before putting ointment on it and wrapping it up, everyone showered Sehun with compliments with how good it actually looked.

The elf, however, could only think of one thing as he examined himself in the mirror that the tattoo artist was holding up for him. Although he couldn’t feel a change in his body, he knew that this was his chance to get back and save Jongin.

In just a few hours, he would hopefully be reunited with him again in the _ otherworld _ so that he could help him get home this time around.


	10. Chapter 9

Everything was set up for the ritual.

Exactly 122 stones were aligned on the ground, their white surface gleaming in the sun of the mild summer morning. The temperatures had begun to settle at a comfortable 22 to 23 degree celsius in the morning, only growing hotter when the sun neared its highest spot in the sky.

Besides Jongin, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were there with him. Although they all technically had to work, they’d taken a day off. “For Jongin.” Chanyeol had explained even though Sehun hadn’t even asked, but it only showed him again how tightly knit their friend group really was. Although they obviously tried to hide it from him, their worry was palpable. Sehun could see it in the furrow of Kyungsoo’s eyebrows, the droopy corners of Baekhyun’s mouth and just Chanyeol’s over-all worried face that seemed to not be able to hide any of his emotions.

Carefully, Sehun placed the bowl with dried fruits and nuts in the circle. In his left hand, the last pebble felt heavy, his palm sweaty as he clutched it tightly.

“I lost rock-paper-scissors, so I’ll be the one joining the circle with you.” Baekhyun declared. Even though it was risky, they all had decided that it was necessary to test out if the portal really only worked with people of elven blood or with humans too. Since they knew how to open the portal, even if the chosen one of them did travel with Sehun by accident, they would still be able to get back.

Between the three of them, they’d decided that they’d use rock-paper-scissors to choose the one to join Sehun. It had been Baekhyun who’d ultimately lost, so it was him who stepped into the circle next to Sehun, looking a little uncomfortable with the whole situation. Sehun sent him what was meant to be a reassuring smile, but after what had happened with Jongin, none of them were exactly certain that Baekhyun wasn’t going to disappear through the portal as well.

“Everything should be ready for take-off.” Chanyeol declared. Not so softly, Kyungsoo whacked his shoulder and rolled his eyes.

“They’re not actually gonna take off.”

“I know, but it sounded cool in my head.”

Sehun giggled. He was going to miss Jongin’s friends. Not much time had passed since he’d first met them, but immediately he’d been able to tell that they were good people. Now that he’d even stayed at Chanyeol’s and Kyungsoo’s flat overnight and had seen how well Kyungsoo treated their potted plants, he was even more convinced that they were decent people.

Thus, saying goodbye didn’t come easy, and when he turned around to hug them one last time, he wondered if one day he was going to see them again, granted their attempt of sending him back worked in the first place.

It was Chanyeol who pulled him into a tight hug first, then Kyungsoo.

“We’ll never forget you, Sehun. You are one cool dude, especially with that Asian Legolas look going on.” Chanyeol grinned and even Kyungsoo had to crack a smile at that.

“Take care of yourself. Don’t try anything stupid, the people that sent you here probably won’t be happy when you return.” Kyungsoo reminded him.

“I promise I’ll be careful.” Sehun nodded and then looked at Baekhyun. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Actually-“ Baekhyun stopped, looking hesitant for a moment. “Since I’m hoping to not travel with the portal, I wanna say goodbye first too. Just like Chanyeol already said, it was nice meeting you. You’re a weirdo, but we all are, so you fit in just right. Come by for a visit again, someday, okay?” The smile on his lips reached his eyes, and Sehun somehow wished he could take all of them with him to show them his world like they showed him theirs.

Maybe one day he’d find a way, Sehun thought.

“I will! How could I not take up that offer.” He nodded. “And now, let’s see if we can bring Jongin back!”

It took only one step for them to enter the circle. Once inside, the pebble in Sehun’s palm suddenly seemed to feel heavier than before as if it was just waiting to be put to the ground for the circle to be completed. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was just his imagination.

The sun broke through the trees just the moment when Sehun placed the stone on the ground to close the gap. Blinding rays of light hit his face when he straightened up, and he had to blink, adjusting to the sudden overexposure. The wind in the trees above them had seemed to have picked up, a constant whisper of the shaking leaves in the tree-top disturbing the silence that had spread between them as they waited.

Just like the first time with Jongin, nothing happened for a minute or two.

Behind them, Chanyeol shifted from foot to foot, looking nervous. Sehun hadn’t dared to move just yet, but he turned his head in surprise when Kyungsoo breathed out a low “Look.”

From the sky, a small butterfly came towards them, riding the soft breeze of wind that had picked up as if Sehun had called for it himself.

Again, the fragile butterfly landed on the bowl with the offerings first. Sehun held his breath, wondering if it was the embodiment of a forest spirit. He hadn’t been able to feel it the first time, but now he could feel the ancient magic the small animal was giving off clearly. He wondered if it came from the rune that seemed to burn on his back. Of course, it hadn’t been able to heal in the short amount time, but it was there, stark black against his skin, hidden underneath a layer of fabric.

He wasn’t sure if the burning on his back was a good sign. Not taking his eyes from the butterfly, Sehun watched as it settled on a dried piece of mango, residing there for a second. Next to him, he could hear Baekhyun inhale deeply.

“It’s okay, Baekhyun. It’ll all be okay.” He whispered, although he couldn’t be sure.

The butterfly rose into the air again. Four pairs of eyes followed it as it flew higher and higher, lifting itself above their heads. For a moment, Sehun thought it was going to leave the circle again.

Then it steered towards Baekhyun.

“Sehun- Sehun it’s coming here.” Baekhyun muttered, suddenly looking quite stressed. He stood still, only his chest moving as he took deep breaths to calm himself.

They watched as it flew in a circle above Baekhyun’s head, suddenly dropping lower. The human almost flinched.

The wind picked up again. Sehun could feel a familiar tickling in the tips of his fingers. It had been days since he last felt it, a feeling that seemed to come deep from within him so naturally that it felt like breathing. _ Magic. _

The murmurs of the trees above their heads intensified. The soft breeze hit Sehun’s face, and he knew that this time, everything was going to be okay.

Slowly, he held out his open palm. The butterfly was right there, only centimetres away. When Sehun looked at it, he swore he could see old elven runes on the intricate patterns of it wings.

The moment it landed on his outstretched fingertips, Sehun’s world turned black.

🍃🦋🍃

The only light in the cell came from the burning torch in the hallway. Jongin watched as the flickering flame created moving shadows from the rods grown out of roots on the earthy wall of the small cell.

They hadn’t come to take him to interrogations again. Besides a surly-looking guard who handed him a plate with dry, old bread and some water, nobody had come by.

Jongin wasn’t sure if there even were other people in the dungeons of the royal elven palace. A few hours ago, he’d thought to have heard a groaning coming from the other end of the hallway, but it had been so faint, so shallow, that he now wondered if it had been the wind, coupled with his imagination.

How long would they keep him here?

He didn’t know. Although he knew that it had only been a few hours, a whole day at most, Jongin already thought that it felt like forever.

🍃🦋🍃

When Sehun had been a toddler, his parents would tell him the stories of how magic flowed through every fibre of his being. Almost all stories elven parents told their children to put them to sleep at night contained the magic that filled up their world. There hadn’t been an exact day when Sehun realized that this magic flowing in his veins was something he could control, it had always been there and he’d always controlled it, whether intentionally or not.

Only when Sehun had almost burst all their windows in the workshop when his father had told him the small bird they’d found outside with serious injuries hadn’t made it through the night. Just when Sehun had broken out into tears, an incredibly power had been set free, making the windows vibrate in their wooden frames so much that his mother had rushed forward to pull her wailing son into a hug, whispering soothing words to him until his whimpers had died down together with the push and pull of the wind.

It was then when his parents had realized the might of his powers.

Whereas it wasn’t uncommon for elves to develop magical abilities, they greatly varied in strength. Not everyone in Sehun’s family was gifted, and his parents had always gushed about how happy they were that their second son was granted with such a wonderful power that was even helpful for their craft.

This power, innate and a part of him like every single eyelash, flowed through his body, every day and every night, every second of his life.

And now, he could finally feel it again.

🍃🦋🍃

Baekhyun hadn’t gone through the portal with him. That was what Sehun assumed at least, since the other was nowhere to be found when he woke up once again entirely naked. He wondered what exact part of the elven magic required him to be naked to enter this world, but he wasn’t going to waste any thoughts on it. There were more pressing matters at hand.

It took him more than three hours of walking until he found traces of elven settlements. It was an empty camp, the flames of a campfire still crackling in the circle of stones. There was no doubt that whoever the owners of the small collection of three tents were, they would be back soon. But first, Sehun needed new clothes.

Hastily, he searched through the bags, pulling out just anything that remotely reminded him of clothes. In the end, he found a pair of pants, torn and too short for him, but they fit at the waist. The shirt that he wore was of light fabric, great for the summer that had seemingly fully arrived in the _ otherworld _ too. Just the thought of taking the two articles of clothing made Sehun feel hesitant to grab a pair of shoes as well. When he’d been a child, he used to walk around barefooted all the time, but during his three-hour walk through the forest he’d quickly realized that shoes would make his journey to Seoul a lot easier.

Still, Sehun didn’t take them. His parents had always told him to never steal, and he usually stuck to what his parents said. Not necessary in a mindless way, but because he agreed with it. Clothes he needed, because he couldn’t exactly walk around naked, but for now, shoes remained luxury articles. Therefore, Sehun left the camp with fabric finally covering his skin where it was necessary but without any protection to his feet.

Even now, he wasn’t exactly sure where he was going. He’d woken up at the exact same spot where he’d fallen asleep that afternoon the portal had brought him to the human world. None of his belongings had been there anymore, everything had vanished. It could have been Jongin who’d taken them, Sehun really wished for it, but he doubted it.

The chances that soldiers were patrolling the official paths through the forest leading to Seoul were high. That’s why Sehun had settled for walking through the forest, far away from the easier to walk paths. His feet mourned it, but his gut-feeling told him that it was the better decision.

It was the middle of the night already when he saw the first lights of the city. In the shadows of the night, Sehun slipped past the outlooks shielding the gateways into the city. It wasn’t news to him that the guards warding the city wall often slacked off, but he’d never been so thankful for it before.

Naturally, his feet led him down familiar paths towards his home. Between the large trees, there weren’t many opportunities to hide, so he was careful. It made him slow, but there was nothing to rush for. For now, he couldn’t do anything.

It had shocked him at first when Jongin hadn’t been there. Somehow, although he’d known the chances were unlikely, and probably not even for the better of Jongin, Sehun had hoped that the other would be there when he returned to the world he belonged to.

But Jongin hadn’t been there. There had been no traces of him, either. There was a thought, in the back of Sehun’s mind that he continued to push away because it wasn’t helpful at all. _ What if he was somewhere else? Caught in the void? Gone? _

Countless times, he called out Jongin’s name. Nobody answered, only the cries of the ravens came the closest to an answer to his shouts in despair.

He’d decided to head to Seoul then. There was no use, staying in the forest. Only in Seoul, he could find help, help to search Jongin. In Seoul, there was his family, there were his friends- but the enemy was also in Seoul.

Sehun hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself, but he’d made an enemy. All his life, he’d wanted to be friends with everyone, be on their good sides. Usually, he’d succeeded, growing up with a stable friend group and no-one that he could really say disliked him. Now, he had the king on his bad side. Sehun shuddered.

He’d almost reached the house of his parents. The magic of the old tree was palpable already, pulling him in. For a second, Sehun almost let down his guard, stepped out of the shadows without looking – but he halted.

A crack, noises were coming from somewhere ahead of him. Too many voices, especially for the middle of the night.

Carefully, Sehun pushed himself forward a little, peeking past the thick trunk of one of the tree houses. There they were, two soldiers, walking up and down the alley that led exactly down to where his parent’s house and workshop were located. Sehun frowned.

Normally, they didn’t patrol these parts of the city. He took a step back, paused. Deciding that it was better to take a different path from the backside, Sehun became one with the shadows again.

His confusion only grew when he spotted another pair of guards when he approached his home from a different side. In the whole of Seoul, he hadn’t spotted as many guards concentrated on one spot. It told him that it wasn’t by accident.

They were guarding his home.

The situation was worse than he’d initially assumed, Sehun realized. A shiver ran down his spine, and it threatened to stay when he understood that this meant that he wasn’t able to return to his home and family until this mess was settled. Sehun swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat and began to move again.

🍃🦋🍃

The sun was about to set already when he knocked on the familiar door. It was painted in a faded blue. Sehun could still remember how he’d helped its owner paint it that way, the colour self-made from beets and plants they’d collected in the forest on a cloudy autumn day.

He didn’t expect the other to open immediately. It was the crack of dawn, Sehun probably wouldn’t have even woken up from the knock before all of this mess had started, but he knew that his friend would.

The other man had always been a light sleeper, much lighter than Sehun. He knew that from experience, They’d spent countless nights lying next to each other as teenagers, staring up at the stars and dreaming about what their life would be like when they grew up. Certainly not the number-one-enemy of the king, Sehun thought bitterly to himself, as he waited.

He was about to knock again when the door opened just a little. Through the crack, he could see the light of a candle flickering against the wooden walls. An eye was fixating him, hidden by the shadows. It widened when he realized who he was looking at.

“Hyung, it’s me.” Sehun whispered, but Junmyeon had already recognized him.

🍃🦋🍃 

"Sehun.” Junmyeon breathed out. Sehun could hear the tiredness even through his surprise, and he felt sorry for waking him up even though he hadn’t had a choice.

"Hyung! Why is my house guarded by soldiers of the king?" Sehun asked quietly. He didn’t want to be having this conversation outside, but Junmyeon still looked so spooked that he hadn’t even gotten to ask Sehun to step inside.

"What are you doing here? Where were you! Everyone was looking for you, they said-" All of a sudden, Junmyeon seemed to fully awaken from his sleep. He sounded worried, way too worried for Sehun’s liking. Also, he wasn’t exactly quiet.

Looking around to check if there was anyone who could listen in on them, Sehun turned back to Junmyeon to give him a pleading look. "Let me inside first and then we talk, okay?"

"Yes, but-"

"Please hyung. I don't know where else to go."

Junmyeon nodded, knowing that Sehun was right. "Okay, come in. But be quick."

After the door had closed behind Sehun, he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulder. Nothing had been solved but was inside a house. It made him feel safe although he knew it was only temporary. Yet, he allowed himself to dwell in the illusion for now.

Junmyeon had immediately begun to cook flower tea and offered Sehun some fruit and bread that the other hastily stuffed into himself. He hadn’t eaten in probably half a day, and just the thought of food had made his stomach growl so loudly that Junmyeon hadn’t even waited for a proper answer from him before he placed a plate with food in front of him while simultaneously beginning to chop vegetables to cook a soup for him.

While Junmyeon had been working, Sehun told him everything the other needed to know. Unlike what Sehun had expected, the other had some new information for him too, though.

"What do you mean they say I'm a traitor?" Sehun asked, blowing on a steaming potato in the wooden spoon he was holding. By now, the soup was done, and Sehun had felt the exhaustion settle deep in his bones.

It had taken him a while to tell Junmyeon the whole story. He had to pause in-between to drink and to eat, and Junmyeon had to ask many questions because Sehun’s thoughts were all over the place. What really had overwhelmed him was what Junmyeon had to say though. Apparently, he was now a sought-after criminal.

"That's what they declared on the market place the day you disappeared. I was just buying fresh fish from Minseok's stand and we both couldn't believe our eyes when we saw the paintings of your face reading that you were a traitor and no longer allowed in the city." Junmyeon was sitting at the opposite end of Sehun at the table, watching him eat. When Sehun asked him why Junmyeon wasn’t eating any of the soup he’d made just now, the other had just waved it off and grumbled something about _ ‘too early for soup’ _.

"But why a traitor?" Sehun asked, still chewing on a piece of carrot. "I didn't do anything."

"They said you stole the golden dagger you were supposed to deliver and also some food from the kitchen."

Sehun almost choked on the vegetable.

"But- I delivered the knife just like I was supposed to! And I never even got close to the kitchens." Just the thought was absurd. Why would he steal a golden knife when his family was the source of it? Sure, they didn’t own most of the gold they used for their craft but bought it with the money of their clients after they requested a certain piece. Nevertheless, his family belonged to the richer ones in all of Seoul and its surroundings.

"But why would they say that? Sehun, you know you can trust me, you can tell me if you did it. I won't rat you out but I want to know the tru-"

"Hyung." Sehun stopped Junmyeon’s flow of words. Just the thought of the other actually believing the rumours made him put down the spoon, fixating his friend. "It really hurts me that you don't believe in me at all." He could see the shame in Junmyeon’s eyes, and deep-down Sehun knew he couldn’t blame the other. To him, it had looked like Sehun had disappeared for no reason at all in the middle of the day without telling anyone anything.

Still, there weren’t many people Sehun could trust, but Junmyeon was one of the few. Pushing aside the other’s initial distrust that he seemed to regret already, Sehun now came to the most important part. Until now, he hadn’t told Junmyeon anything about the situation with the king. He didn’t know why, but there was no way he could keep it to himself now.

"I never did any of what they said about me, hyung. I saw something I shouldn't have seen." 

"What?" Junmyeon didn’t understand.

Sehun hesitated, but then nodded. "About the king, I overheard a private conversation. You won't believe it."

🍃🦋🍃 

"If that's true, you're in big trouble." Junmyeon looked like he was going to bust a vein. "You're sure nobody saw you coming into the village?"

"I think so." Sehun hummed while slurping down the remains of the soup in his bowl.

"That doesn't sound very sure."

Putting down the wooden, bowl, Sehun rolled his eyes. "What was I supposed to do, stay away from the village forever? I have to find out where Jongin is and somehow tell the queen the truth about the king."

Suddenly, Junmyeon looked like he remembered something.

"About that..." He said slowly, scratching his head. "Yesterday, a troop of soldiers found a human in the woods. He couldn't show a permit to enter our territory, so they took him with them. I don't think he's been released yet. I forgot about it again, because it didn’t concern me, but after hearing your story…" Junmyeon trailed off.

After the first words already, Sehun’s heart had begun to pound heavily in his chest already.

"And you think it's Jongin?" He asked, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Standing up, Junmyeon took the empty bowl from Sehun. There was enough soup left for him to have some more later. There was no doubt the other was going to stay with him, Sehun couldn’t exactly walk around in the village during the day after all.

"Yeah, it does." Sehun agreed, watching as Junmyeon rinsed the bowl. "But I hate the thought of him being locked up. Knowing him, he'd probably- fuck. He probably said he knows me."

Sehun’s gut twisted uncomfortably at the thought, and suddenly wished he hadn’t eaten so much.

"I don't know how many of the guards or soldiers are rigged and know about the circumstances of the truthful king's death, but even if they don't, they still believe I'm a traitor.” He continued. “That's not good at all. Also, I'm sure the king will have found out by now that Jongin is connected to me. If he was the one ordering me to be sent through a portal, then he will put one and one together and realize that Jongin came here that way too."

Junmyeon hummed thoughtfully. Sehun couldn’t see it, but he knew the other was frowning without having to look. "That's not good." The slightly older man agreed.

"Of course, it isn't! What should I do? I have to get him out of there!" Sehun’s palm hit the table, and Junmyeon squeaked. "I have to get into the palace somehow!"

"Sehun-" he started, but Sehun wasn’t gonna let him lecture him.

"What? Are you gonna tell me it's too dangerous? Cause I know that! Still, I can't just leave Jongin rotting away in the dungeons."

Turning around, Junmyeon stemmed his arms in his waist. He reminded Sehun a little of his mother when she was about to scold him.

"No, I was gonna say 'Sehun, I don't think that a good idea, but I have an idea how it could work.'"

At that, Sehun visibly slumped. "Oh." He mumbled, feeling stupid and ungrateful. "I'm sorry hyung. It's just... the last few days were a lot. I didn't exactly plan on finding out about the king being an imposter and then being sent to a different reality."

"I know, Sehun." Junmyeon sighed and stepped closer to put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "That's why I want to help you. But we can't rush it, it all has to be planned. Don’t worry, though. I’m extraordinarily good at planning.”


	11. Chapter 10

The Queen of the Elven Kingdom was an interesting woman. Although her husband had died many, many years ago when they’d both still been young and deeply in love – elves only married if they were in love, even royalty – the Queen was still in a reigning position even when a new King with a new wife had long moved into the palace. The King was the cousin of her deceased husband, someone that she saw often but felt like she’d never gotten to know well.

The elven kingdom was enamoured with their Queen. A beauty at a young age, a strong and wise woman in her old age, she was a role model for many elves in [enter Kingdom name]. She often went for walks through the city, chatting with the common people. The people loved that she spent time with them and took down the walls between them and the palace.

It was the legal system of the Elves that allowed her to still be the Queen. In the Elven Code, the lineage of the royal family was clearly outlined. Whoever married into the family was to be treated as fully equal with the ones born with royal blood. This was what enabled the Queen to still sit on the throne next to a man that wasn’t her husband.

Technically, she was the rightful ruler of the country. Yet, as progressive as the Elven kingdom seemed at first glance, it was still on a patriarchal system that only allowed men to be the true rulers of the kingdom.

That way, the queen had more of a representative position in theory. In reality though, a large part of the councils gave a lot of thought to whatever the old woman had to add to any new rulings or decision-making in general. Everyone still knew that the old king, who had been the son of their beloved king that had brought their kingdom through many wars in victory. The ruling king, however, was only a cousin, someone that was not part of the original bloodline. The only reason he’d come next in line was because the Queen’s husband’s brother, the next in the bloodline, had magically disappeared after the king’s death. Some rumoured that he had killed his brother, but the Queen never believed it.

Up until now, the death of her husband was still a mystery to her, and not a single day passed where she didn’t think about him.

🍃🦋🍃

Getting into the palace was unexpectedly easy. The tough thing, however, was not being caught once Sehun was inside.

Much to their advantage, the guy Junmyeon had been flirting with for the past year but still hadn’t built up the courage to ask him out worked as a servant in the palace. It only took a little bit of Junmyeon’s pout and a few winks here and there, and Yifan – that was the guy’s name – agreed to take ‘Junmyeon’s cousin’ on a _ palace tour _.

Of course, Junmyeon didn’t exactly enjoying lying to the guy he wanted to climb like a tree, but sometimes, you simply didn’t have an option. Therefore, Junmyeon felt a little bit like an asshole when he told Yifan about his cousin who visited from another city and who had always wanted to see the palace from the inside. None of it was true, of course, but Yifan had never seen Sehun before so he wouldn’t be able to recognize him. The only problem was that someone else might be able to do recognize Sehun.

For that issue, they hadn’t found a solution yet. Sehun had suggested just putting on a cape, but Junmyeon had argued that nobody would let him walk around the palace like that and Sehun had quickly realized the other was right.

“You could cut off your hair.” Junmyeon suggested on a whim, and Sehun sent him a scandalized look.

“But then I won’t look like Legolas anymore.”

“What on earth is a Legolas?”

In the end, they’d decided that it probably wouldn’t make a difference. Most elves sported long hair, and since Sehun was going to wear the servant uniform, provided by Yifan to not raise any questions why he was walking around with an unofficial guest, so Sehun was able to keep the long, blonde strands of hair he cherished so much.

After Sehun had finished getting changed, Junmyeon gave him a once-over and nodded.

“That should be alright.” He nodded, and then let out a small noise when he remembered something. “Wait here for a second.” He mumbled as if Sehun had anywhere to go but Junmyeon’s house but he stayed put without saying anything at all.

For a few seconds, Junmyeon was rummaging around in a wooden drawer before he turned around, the blade of a small knife gleaming in the light of the burning torch.

“You should take this with you. I mean-“, he stopped, looking awfully worried. “I don’t want you to use it but you might have to and then it’s better to carry it with you, but I know violence should never be a solution, believe me, but the thought of you going there when the king wants you gone, it’s just-“

Sehun took a step forward, putting a hand on Junmyeon’s palm holding the dagger. He could feel it shaking beneath his touch.

“Hyung… you don’t have to explain yourself. You’re right.” He smiled softly. “I hope I won’t have to use it, but it’s better to have it with me. I’m glad you thought of something like that.” He took the knife from Junmyeon, and then carefully led him to the table so they could sit down.

“Thank you for everything, hyung.” Sehun was still holding the dagger, turning it around in his hands. It wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the one he’d handed to the king on the day that probably had changed his life forever, but it was purposeful. The blade was sharp, and Sehun didn’t doubt that a cut or stab could be lethal.

Carefully, he slid it into a hidden pocket inside of his jeans. In case of emergency, he just had to slip his hand inside and pull it out. Sehun truly hoped he wouldn’t have to use it, though.

“You’d do the same for me, Sehun.” Junmyeon smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. It pained Sehun to see his hyung looking so worried, but at the same time he couldn’t blame him. If he were in his shoes, he’d go crazy with his worries about the other.

They talked for a little longer until it was time for them to leave. They’d agreed to meet Yifan at three in the afternoon outside the side tree complex of the palace where all the servants entered when they began their shift.

Junmyeon waved goodbye as Sehun and Yifan disappeared through the small door of the tree, smaller than the main tree complex. Sehun had never entered the palace from this side before, and he was surprised by how beautiful this part of the palace was although it wasn’t even meant to be for the royal family but only the people serving them.

The walls of the rooms around him were covered in carved out reliefs. Countless flowers adorned the walls, tiny birds and seemed to grow out of the century-old wood as if the tree itself was trying to tell the stories of what it had seen when it still had been inhibited by the spirit ghosts and hadn’t been holed up for the purpose of becoming a living space just yet.

Without realizing it, Sehun had stepped closer, his fingers trailing over the beautiful details of a butterfly. It reminded him of the portal, and suddenly, he knew that he was just wasting time.

Time that he didn’t have and time that he needed to save Jongin. He took a step away from the wall.

“They’re pretty, right? Sometimes it feels like they change. I don’t know if it’s the magic of the tree, but some day the animals seem to be in different positions. I never know if it’s just my imagination, but somehow, I think it’s real.” Yifan had watched him.

“They really are pretty. But that’s only the beginning of the palace, right? Let’s continue before someone realizes I don’t really belong here.” Sehun turned around to look at him instead.

Yifan only laughed, and Sehun couldn’t help but think that the other probably wouldn’t laugh if he knew that he’d just let in the person the king was searching for.

🍃🦋🍃

Getting into the palace had been doable. Now, Sehun somehow had to slip away from Yifan to look after Jongin. He had no doubts that the other would probably be kept in the dungeons, yet, he didn’t exactly know where they were located. Yifan, however, seemed to have a pretty good plan of the palace in his head, so when Sehun asked about them, Yifan immediately began to lead him into the direction.

In the end, getting rid of Yifan wasn’t that hard either. One second Sehun asked Yifan about another relief on the walls and pretended to listen as the other pointed out certain specific aspects of the art piece, the other Sehun had already disappeared down the hallway that Yifan had told him would directly lead to the stairs to the dungeons.

In the back of his mind, Sehun felt sorry for using Yifan like that. The other had seemed really nice and had put a lot of effort into showing Sehun around and explaining things to him that the other had partially already seen on his trips to the palace. He should probably send him a fruit basket after all this was done, he thought, and continued his way down the hallway with determined steps.

He only stopped when he spotted two armed guards warding the entrance to the dungeons. He didn’t immediately recognize him, so the chances that they would recognize him in the servant uniform weren’t exactly high.

For this part, Sehun was prepared. From Junmyeon’s home, he’d packed some food that he was going to present to the guards and inform them that he was supposed to take it to the prisoners to give it out to them. It had been Junmyeon’s idea, and quite honestly the only one they’d come up with.

It wasn’t foolproof, but the chances that he could lure the guards away somehow were even lower. That’s why he had to face them head-on.

His heart was pounding in his chest as he approached them. In his hand, he was carrying half a loaf of bread and some dried roots that he’d been able to hide in the baggy servant’s uniform. As he came closer, the guards eyed him warily.

"I'm here to deliver food to the prisoners." His voice sounded stable and Sehun put a smile on. He was quite proud of himself, because acting had never really been his forte. He usually was too honest to put on a façade, but now he had to look past that and bring out the skills he had never truly explored up until now.

The guards exchanged looks. "Is it time again already?" The one on the right asked. "What do you have for them today?"

"Just bread and water. The other servant brought too little earlier, that's why I'm back." Sehun held up the bread. If it was representative for the food the prisoners usually received, Sehun didn’t know, but he was sure that it wouldn’t be much more than that.

The guards stared at the bread in his hand. "Alright. Don't stay down there too long, it's cold down there today." The one that had been speaking before nodded.

Damn. He’d made it. Sehun smiled and bowed his head. "I see. Thank you."

Before he could move past them though, the man on the left held up a hand to stop him. "Hey, wait a moment." He tilted his head, staring at Sehun with a weird expression in his eyes. "I know you from somewhere..."

Immediately, Sehun’s heart began pounding.

"Oh?" He asked, trying not to let on how he was suddenly breaking out into a cold sweat.

The guard nodded, not looking away. Sehun could practically _ see _ him think. "Yes, but I can't remember-" The man started but then his eyes widened. "Oh! Now I know it!"

Sehun stilled, ready to run.

"You're the new one that dropped the tomatoes last week, aren't you?"

"Yes." Trying not to let out a breath, Sehun slumped in relief a little. "That's me." He easily lied, a huge grin threatening to spread on his lips. He couldn’t though, so he squeezed them together instead.

The guard looked satisfied with himself. "I knew I saw your face before. Be careful then."

Maybe it was true and the guard had seen him before. It certainly hadn’t been while dropping tomatoes though. Still, Sehun was thankful and sent them another polite smile.

"I will be, thank you for your concern."

🍃🦋🍃

He had to pass another guard once he’d reached the end of the long, earthy stairs. While most of the palace was made out of wood – of course it was, it was made from a tree after all – the dungeons were built out of mud and roots and even partially of stones. Torches lined the walls as Sehun walked deeper and deeper underneath the grounds of the palace and the air around him grew stale and cold.

The guard at the bottom of the stairs didn’t even bat an eyelash when Sehun explained that he came to feed the captives and just let him pass. Sehun had never been more grateful.

His heart was still pounding as he walked through the long corridor. To his left and right, cells lined up against each other, some of them empty, some occupied. Sehun pretended to slip food into them in case the guard was watching, but he seemed a lot more interested in watching a spider play with its prey in a web above his head.

About halfway down the corridor, Sehun came to a sudden stop. There, in a corner of a cell, sat Jongin. He wasn’t exactly sure if he was awake or asleep, and Sehun felt a sting in his heart. Jongin sat slumped over, his arms wrapped around his knees. Somehow, Sehun was surprised that he’d even recognized him because the other’s face wasn’t visible in this position at all.

Carefully, he called out the other’s name.

When Jongin rose his head, Sehun swallowed. The other looked awful, but when his eyes landed on Sehun, new life seemed to flood into him. Hastily, Jongin scrambled to get onto his feet and rushed towards Sehun. His fingers gripped the thick tree roots separating them, looking at the elf with utter confusion in his eyes. There was another emotion in them though, much stronger than that. Jongin looked _ relieved _.

"Sehun! What- what are you doing here?" He reached out to grab Sehun’s hand, his palms closing around his fingers.

"Be quiet, Jongin!" There were so many things Sehun wanted to say instead, but now wasn’t the place nor the time for that. "We don't have much time!" He whispered, looking at the other pleadingly.

"How did you get here?" Ignoring what Sehun had just said, the excitement in Jongin’s eyes only seemed to increase the longer Sehun stood in front of him. It almost seemed like Jongin only now realized that the Sehun in front of him was real and didn’t stem from one of his endless daydreams in the cell.

Softly, Sehun squeezed his hands. "That's not important right now. Listen, okay?" He breathed, sending a panicked glance towards the guard. Said man was still staring at the spot above his head, but Sehun didn’t trust his luck enough to take his time with this.

"But-" Jongin started again but Sehun’s pleading look made him shut up. "Okay." He nodded, coming to reason.

Relieved, Sehun let out a breath. "I'll distract the guard now, and then I'll unlock your cell. After that, we'll unlock all the others, too." "Hell will break loose, but that's our only option to get out of here. We'll have to disappear in the chaos somehow, and then we need to head to the queen's quarters."

"The queen's?" Jongin didn’t understand what the queen of all people had to do with that, but for now, the explaining had to wait, so Sehun cut it down to the necessary minimum.

"I doubt we'll be able to get back into the palace after this. It's our only chance, so we have to use it to tell her about how her about how her husband really died."

"Do you think she'll believe us?"

"I don't know, but I hope she will." Sehun shrugged and flinched when he heard a sound from the end of the corridor. Quickly, he shoved the bread into Jongin’s hand and then reluctantly let go of him, taking a step back. "Okay, I have to hurry now. I'll be back, hopefully with a key to your cell." Before Jongin could even respond, Sehun was already hurrying down back to the entrance of the dungeons again.

🍃🦋🍃

"I'm surprised you didn't get any of the leftovers yet."

Sehun had slowed down his steps significantly when he approached the guard at the bottom of the stairs. Only when Sehun was less than a metre away from him the man tore his eyes away from the spider still playing with its prey above his head.

"What leftovers?" He asked, sounding almost disinterested. In general, he didn’t seem to pay too much attention to what was going on around him, much to Sehun’s delight.

The blonde elf pretended to be surprised. "Oh, didn't you know about the king's feast? It was for some special location I don't recall, but the kitchen maids are currently handing out leftovers to all the guards and servants. That's why I was so surprised you didn't have any yet." Even though there had been no feast at all and Sehun didn’t even know if things like this were common, the man seemed to buy it.

Eyebrows furrowing, he fixated Sehun, suddenly a lot more interested in what he had to say. "I guess they don't send anyone down here." The man grumbled.

At that, Sehun sighed dramatically and nodded. "That's a pity. They told me they'd head to the guards upstairs just a moment after I was supposed to arrive there. It's a feast really. There were so many fruits left over, grapes, oranges... The sweetest I've never tasted." Sehun described vividly as if he had the plates right in front of him even though they only existed in his mind. At this point, it was almost fun to come up with more details. "And even meat..I heard there were even rare kinds, grilled and well-seasoned."

The guard wet his lips. "That does sound good..." Glancing at the stairs, his look was contemplating before it returned to Sehun. "But I can't exactly leave here."

Now, the real time for Sehun to shine came.

"If you want, I could stay here during the time you go upstairs." It was important not to sound too eager, but Sehun knew that he also had to make the thought sound appealing. "It's not like anyone can escape either way. They're all locked up after all."

Still, the guard didn’t look fully convinced just yet. "I don't know..."

Time to change his tactics, Sehun decided.

"It's fine, it was just an idea." Taking a step back, Sehun bowed his head and pretended to head to take a step towards the stairs. "I'll go grab myself some more delicious baked goods and grapes then." It was probably stupid, and Sehun wondered if he wasn’t being totally obvious, but somehow, the guard still took the bait.

"Hey!" The man’s voice rose in volume. Sehun halted expectantly.

"Wait. You'd really wait here?"

_ Bingo. _(He’d learned that word from Baekhyun when they’d listened to a so-called K-Pop song the other day and the word had come up in the chorus. It had sounded funny, so he’d asked for the meaning)

"I told you I would. I don't go back on my word." Sehun turned around and sent the man an what he hoped to be encouraging smile.

For a second, it looked like the other would decide against it after all, but then the man took a step towards Sehun, nodding at the wall behind him where a sat of keys hung on a rusty nail in the wall.

"Alright. Those are the keys, don't hand them to anyone, do you understand?"

Right from the moment Sehun had stepped foot into the dungeon, he’d eyed the set of keys already, but he couldn’t really admit that now. Therefore, he just nodded and smiled.

"Of course, sir."

The guard hummed, and then trudged past Sehun. "I'll be back."

Now, it was time to put the next step of his plan into action, Sehun thought when he plucked the keys from the nail once he was sure the guard was out of sight.

The first thing he did when he reached Jongin’s cell again a few seconds later was unlocking it. The hug that he was greeted with came unexpected, but Sehun allowed himself to bask in Jongin’s tight embrace for a moment before he had to pry himself free from the other.

"Okay, we've got maybe half a minute now until they realise what's going on." Sehun explained when Jongin looked at him expectantly. “I’ll unlock the other cells now, and then we have to get out of here.” He rushed out and took Jongin’s hand before he began running from cell to cell, unlocking more than half of the doors.

Some were empty, but from the other’s, people began to stream out. For a moment, confusion prevailed, but then it turned into chaos when the prisoners realized that they were now outside their cells without a guard around to tame them.

Noise arose around them, and the first were already storming towards the stairs. It was probably best to be in the middle of the horde, so Sehun squeezed Jongin’s hand one last time before he called out "Run!"

🍃🦋🍃

His heart was thundering in his chest. All he could see were moving bodies and stairs, so many stairs. Someone had grabbed one of the burning torches and he had to duck or it would have hit him, and he squeezed the hand clutching his own hard, tugging the other man forward.

A few steps ahead of them, the first had pushed through the two guards. Screams filled the air, he couldn’t tell if they were orders or screams for help. There was a familiar tingling in the tips of his fingers, and suddenly he knew what to do.

Why he hadn’t thought of it earlier, he didn’t know.

As the light at the end of the stairs hit Sehun’s face, he raised his hand and the windows in the hallway shattered into a million pieces, the glimmering shards bursting into the corridor which new guards had entered at the back.

Never before, Sehun had thought of using his ability for violence. Now, he realized that sometimes, you had to see past your ideals to save the things that you loved.

“This way-“ Sehun turned around to look at Jongin who had almost crashed into him when Sehun had taken a sharp turn. They were not going to run into the direction that Sehun had come from, but a different one, up the stairs to the queen’s quarters.

Surely, there were going to be more guards, but Sehun also now knew that he had the power to step into their way.

It seemed like they weren’t the only ones that wanted to flee that way. Ahead of them, some of the inmates had collided with guards, trying to fight them off. He tugged Jongin into a side corridor, smaller and seemingly empty, at least for now.

Their footsteps thumped on the wooden floor, so loud that Sehun thought everyone would have heard them. He didn’t realize that they went down in the noise of the fight, and that no one had seen them running this way.

To his surprise, the corridor ended in front of a door. For a second, he thought they were trapped, and he shared a scared look with Jongin before he reached out and pushed the handle. It opened.

In front of them, a dark stairway of a circular stair opened up.

Jongin took a glance behind them, the corridor was still empty. Hurriedly, they closed the door behind them.

"You look awful. Did you get enough to eat? They didn't hurt you, right?" Inside the stairway, it was dark. There was a soft glow coming from the end of the stairway, possibly a small window. Otherwise, it was pitch-black. Although Sehun couldn’t see Jongin right now, the picture of him cowering in the cell just wouldn’t leave his mind.

"They didn't hurt me, no." _ Not physically at least, _ Jongin thought. He wasn’t going to tell the other what exactly they’d done, there was no time for that now. Jongin had a way more burning question in mind though.

"Sehun, they said something..." He whispered. Neither of the two dared to speak up in case someone would hear them. Sehun assumed that this was a kind of stairway used by servants to quickly move between floors to bring the food to the queen, but he couldn’t be sure.

"Yes?" He asked, wishing he could see Jongin’s face in the dark. Like this, he only saw the outlines of his sharp jawline, a gleam of eyes in the darkness.

Jongin was quiet for a moment. He didn’t exactly know how to put it, turning the words around on his tongue until he found the right ones. "They said something about you being a traitor. It's not true, right? I didn't help a crazy elf trying to start a coup d'etat to overthrow the reigning king, did I?"

Sehun shook his head but only belatedly realized that Jongin couldn’t see it.

"No you didn't. They proclaimed that I stole and then fled the capital so my family wouldn't ask where I went. Smart, huh?"

It all didn’t make sense to Jongin. "But why would they do that?"

"It's a long story, but I'll break it down for you." Only now, Sehun realized that they were still holding hands. He didn’t feel like letting go, so when he made Jongin sit down on the flight of stairs, he didn’t let go of his hand then either. Sehun had decided that it was better to wait in the staircase for a while until the tumult outside had died down a little so he took the time to tell Jongin about what he’d hidden from him when he’d come to Jongin’s world. The other listened as Sehun told him about the murder of the king, the way he got back to the otherworld and lastly, what Junmyeon had told him about the things that the soldiers had made public about him and how it was a way to explain his sudden absence.

"You believe me, right?" Jongin had been quiet for a while after Sehun had finished, and it worried him. He wasn’t sure if the other had understood everything since he hadn’t really asked any questions back.

Jongin hummed. "I probably shouldn't believe everything you say so easily, but you make it kind of easy."

At that, Sehun’s heart began pounding faster again. "Jongin..." He started, not even sure what he wanted to say. Suddenly, his head was empty as he tried to come up with something that could put whatever he was feeling into words. Before he could find the right ones, he remembered something that was more important at the moment. "Actually, there's something else. What's the name of your grandfather?"

"Jongsu, why?" The sudden question about his grandfather made Jongin hesitate.

Next to him, he could hear a sharp intake of breath.

"Jongin, I think you're the rightful heir of the throne. Your grandfather was the second born son of King and the brother of the murdered king." Sehun explained silently, but the words sounded awfully loud in the empty stairway.

"But- that can't be-" Jongin wanted to laugh. This was _ absurd, _ his grandpa couldn’t be-

"He must have fled because they would have come to kill him, too."

"I don't understand-"

Sehun squeezed his hand. "It all makes sense though. That way, you were able to travel through the portal, too."

Silence spread between them as Jongin tried to take everything in. Elves existing, okay, he could deal with that, but now hearing that he was partially elf himself? He let out a breathless chuckle, trying to realize that this actually meant for him but he came to no conclusion.

"You are of elven blood, Jongin. And now we need to tell that to the Queen. I brought your grandfather's amulet with me in the hopes that she might recognize it."

The mention of the amulet made Jongin’s head turn around towards Sehun even though he couldn’t even properly make out his features in the dark.

"Where did you get it from?" He wondered. Up until now, he’d already forgotten about the necklace again, too much happening for it to seem of importance.

Sounds of Sehun rummaging in the depths of the servant uniform could be heard, and a moment later, warm metal slid into his palm.

"It was in your backpack, and I put it around my neck before I went back. I guess because it was elven craft it didn't disappear, but there also might be elven magic attached to it. Who knows."

Letting go of Sehun’s hand, Jongin turned the amulet around in his palm. He could feel it more than he could see it. Jongin wasn’t sure if it was imagining it, but the amulet seemed to exude some form of energy. He was sure that it hadn’t done that back in his world and Jongin realized that maybe the thing he was feeling was _ magic. _

"This is crazy, Sehun."

"As crazy as a naked elf waking up in your grandparent's garden?"

They both couldn't help but grin. Carefully, Sehun slid his fingers back into Jongin’s slotting them together. The amulet rested between their palms, the metal feeling soft against their skin.

Even though Jongin couldn’t see it, he knew that Sehun was looking at him. When he turned his head, their faces were suddenly so close that he could feel the other’s breath on his lips.

"Let's finish what we started." Sehun breathed, and Jongin knew that whatever was going to happen after this, he at least wasn’t alone.


	12. Chapter 11

They waited for about ten minutes longer in the staircase, hidden in the dark where no one seemed to want to come and look for them. It surprised them that none of the servants used the staircase, since they suspected that this was the main use for it, but only after a two steps up the stairs they realized the reason behind the lack of people. It was Sehun whose leg burst through one of the steps, the brittle wood breaking away under his weight. Before he could fall, Jongin wrapped his arms around his middle to stabilize him. The two remained like that for a moment, their hammering heartbeats so loud in their ears in the silent stairway. None of the two dared to move.

They quickly realized that they weren’t the only ones that knew of the poor condition of the stairs. As they moved higher, they encountered several steps with similar holes like the one Sehun had created just a minute ago.

Relief washed over them when they finally reached the end of the stairs without another surprise, but the feeling was only short-lived. Now, the even harder part began, because they had to leave the considerably safe space they’d discovered.

With a creaking sound, the door pushed open when Sehun pushed the handle. The loud noise made them flinch, and Sehun let out an apologetic hum before he opened the door even more so he could peer into the hallway that stretched in front of them.

“It’s empty.” He breathed, pushing the door open wider.

Still, they waited half a minute longer to make sure the guards hadn’t just disappeared around the corner for a second, but it seemed like the corridor was truly empty. Careful to not make a noise, they slipped past the door. Sehun’s eyes fell on a wooden engraving on the door.

_ ‘Do not enter – Not safe. Under construction.’ _

Possibly, the stairway could be their only way back out of the palace in case they didn’t reach the queen. Of course, there was still the possibility that the Queen wouldn’t even believe them, but since that would probably result in their death, Sehun decided not to think about it too much. It was too late to turn back anyways, so they had to do what they knew was the right thing to do. This was what his parents had taught him, and Sehun knew that if he turned around now and decided to just flee to the human world with Jongin, he would never be able to forgive himself.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t considered the option. Of course, it was the easy way out, the most plausible option. Someone wanted him dead, so wasn’t it smarter to just hide? Especially when that someone was powerful, even a King, and he was just a commoner? Rationally, nobody probably would’ve blamed him if he ran away.

His heart, however, told him that he couldn’t do that. Was he still Oh Sehun if he turned around now, took the easy way out? Maybe he would be, but then he didn’t want to be that person anymore. For him, the only way was forward now. The only regretful thing about it was that he had dragged Jongin into all of this mess. Without him, he would be less anxious about everything, but at this point, he realized that none of this would have been possible without Jongin.

Somehow, Jongin had turned out to be the key to a lock that belonged to a treasure chest full of mysteries, and only with Jongin had Sehun been able to understand all of them. He wondered if the forest spirits had let him wake up in Jongin’s garden, made his body feel worn out right in that spot that was in the same place in the _ otherworld _ as Jongin’s grandparent’s garden in the human world. Maybe they’d known that together, they could solve this crime, something that was too much for only Sehun to handle. Silently, Sehun reminded himself to head to one of the many temples to thank the forest spirits if they ever made it out of the palace again.

“I know where the queen’s chambers are. I don’t know where exactly we are right now, but I know that we can’t be far.” Sehun turned around to look at Jongin who just nodded. For some reason, Sehun was surprised to see so much trust in his eyes. If he’d expected to see an emotion, it would have been fear. However, Jongin put so much faith in him that he felt something stir in his chest.

They had to make it out of here Sehun decided. They just had to.

Mindful of their steps, they made it to the end of the corridor. The floor they were on seemed to be almost empty, but it didn’t surprise Sehun. It was commonly known that the Queen didn’t like many guards around, as it made her feel less private, but in such a state of turmoil in the palace, he would’ve expected her to make an exception. Not that he was complaining, it certainly was for the better, but the lack of soldiers somehow made him wonder if it was a trap.

Yet, they couldn’t turn around. This was the only way to the Queen’s chambers, and Sehun felt relieved when he recognized the familiar hallway that met the one they’d stepped into after leaving the stairway.

Sehun led them towards another short stairway. Even this one wasn’t guarded, and Sehun began to feel stressed. This couldn’t be it. Last time he’d been here, there’d been guards. He’d been fully prepared to knock them out with the wind, but now he didn’t even have to, and it was confusing him. Things were going to easy, and he somehow couldn’t take it for granted.

They walked up the short flight of stairs and Sehun opened another door. Sunlight streamed between the small gap, growing brighter and brighter the further the door slid open. They’d reached the top of the building parts that were located in the trunk of the insanely large tree. Now, they’d stepped out of one of the large branches into the open. There was a small stairway leading to a wooden plateau where another room complex was located. There, in the crown of the trees, lied the chambers of the Queen. Although it was the King that ruled the Kingdom, it was the Queen that was the one that performed the rituals in the honour of the forest and tree spirits. As they reside in the treetops, it was only natural for the Queen to live in the quarters closest to them.

There were two guards shielding the entrance, but so far they hadn’t seen them yet. Sehun didn’t want to harm them, and he feverishly tried to come up with a solution for how he could get rid of them without actually harming them.

In the end, Sehun didn’t have much time to think about it because it was just a moment later that the guards spotted them but didn’t move yet. They just stared and watched as Jongin and Sehun came closer, and all of a sudden, Sehun remembered that he was still wearing the servant uniform and that the guards had most likely not been informed about what was going on in the palace.

“I’m here to bring this prisoner to the Queen. She requested to talk to him.” It was a poor excuse, but Jongin was in a pitiful state and declaring him as anything else but a prisoner would have been laughable.

“We don’t know about a request like that.” The guards exchanged looks, and then fixated them again. “That means we cannot let you pass until we check it out.”

“Too bad.” Sehun mumbled underneath his breath as the wind began to shake the leaves of the monumental tree. “I thought we could have solved this differently.”

Before the two guards had realized what was going on, they were already pressed against the wall, the wind holding them down. The wind swallowed their screams of help, and Sehun easily walked past them, Jongin in tow. It was as if the wind moved past them, holding the two guards in place while not even a single strand of Sehun’s hair was touched by the breeze.

“How do you do this?” Jongin breathed as they passed through the heavy, wooden door. Once again, a corridor lied in front of them, but it was very short. In fact, it reminded him more of a small room rather than a corridor, but it was completely empty. The only thing that caught his eyes inside were the wooden reliefs once again, this time showcasing the elven crown surrounded by flowers of all kinds.

“I never used it to this extent. It’s like… a dam broke inside of me? The only times I had power bursts like this were when I was very emotional and couldn’t keep myself in check.” Sehun explained. There was a single door in front of him, and both knew what lied behind it.

“Do you think she’ll trust us?” Jongin asked quietly.

Sehun hummed. “I don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out sooner than later.”

🍃🦋🍃

The knock against the door sounded unnaturally loud in the Queen’s silent chambers. Half an hour ago, a maid had served her tea. By now, the small tea can was empty, only the second one dedicated to the forest spirits that she would always fill up when she had some tea was still filled to the brim. It was no longer steaming, the liquid inside having cooled down. Sometimes, the tea would steam for hours and hours after she filled up the cup still. Then the Queen knew that one of the spirits resided with her, appreciating the offering that she made them.

The queen enjoyed being alone after her tea. Everyone in the palace knew not to disturb her once a maid had brought the tea set and served it to her. Not even her closest friends came to join her. It was always just the Queen, and sometimes, a spirit.

Therefore, the knock came as a surprise. In the last decades, there had only been a few occasions when someone had interrupted her private tea-time. One time, a war between the elves and the fairies had almost broken lose. Otherwise, the people of the palace tended to accept her request of loneliness.

For a moment, she considered not opening the door. While the Queen was in no way a misanthrope and loved strolling around the city and the palace gardens, she was very fond of her silent hours after her tea. Yet, she was the Queen, and with it came the responsibility to open the door whenever her people asked it of her.

She didn’t have to stand up for the door to slowly swing open. Since birth, she had been gifted with the ability to move objects solely with the power of her mind. It had been helpful multiple times, but in her old age, she no longer moved rocks and fought in wars.

“Who dares to interrupt my tea-time with spirits?” Her words could’ve been harsh if it weren’t for the soft, almost curious undertone in her voice. The queen’s eyes landed on the two men that stepped into the room, their backs bent so lowly in a polite bow that she almost expected them to topple over.

"Your Highness, I know this comes as a surprise, but we really have to tell you something." One of them, a young elf with long, white blonde hair and the dress of a servant spoke up. It was the other one that caught her attention though, someone that made her heart beat faster for a reason that she couldn’t quite pinpoint just yet.

"How did you get in here?" She asked, still seated behind the tea pot and the two cups, one filled, one empty. If she wasn’t mistaken, the filled one had begun to steam again. The spirits were watching.

"The door- I mean, we came up here because we needed to talk to you." The long-haired elf straightened up. She watched as he tried to meet her eyes and smiled when he looked away, obviously nervous. "We're not here to harm you." He added, and the Queen hummed. Even if they were, they would have to get to her first.

"Where are the guards?" She wondered. Surely, they would have informed the two intruders that she did not wish to have any guests at the time. Somehow, those two boys must have taken care of them. She was impressed.

At that, the young elf looked a little sheepish. "They're uh... locked out." He stammered and glanced at the door behind them. It had closed again, separating them from the world outside.

"You're a wielder of magic, Oh Sehun. I did not know that someone like you was in your family."

The look of utter surprise on the elf’s face made her chuckle. "You know who I am?" He asked.

Several times before, the Queen had seen the young man in the palace. They’d never interacted much, but she knew who he was and who he belonged to. The goldsmith family of Seoul was a truly talented house, and she valued their work a lot. While she’d known about their crafting capabilities, she had not been aware of the power one of their sons held though. When she’d heard about the prosecution of the young elf, she hadn’t been able to believe that he would steal from his own family.

"Well, I also know that you're currently searched for because of theft. So, it does make me wonder what you're doing in my chambers."

For a moment, Sehun didn’t say anything. He only glanced back at the man behind him, a human the Queen suddenly realized in surprise, and then back at her.

"It's about the king- and your brother."

Before the Queen could answer, another knock resounded in the room. Three pairs of eyes focused on the door, two of them filled with sheer panic.

“Please.” Sehun breathed, a pleading undertone in his voice. “Do not open the door until you listened to us.”

Another knock, and the Queen realized there were several voices behind the heavy door.

“Why should I grant you this opportunity? You come here without a reason and interrupt my tea-“

“I beg you.” There were tears in Sehun’s eyes, the deep brown pupils glistening suspiciously. “I don’t know how to prove it to you, but there’s something up with the King. He- he killed your husband.”

Another knock, this time louder and more aggressive.

“Her majesty, there are intruders in the palace! We need to talk to you in order to protect you. Let me inside.”

Horror bloomed on Sehun’s face when the Elven king’s voice came through the door.

The queen opened her mouth as if to say call out something in a response and Sehun squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for her to call the King inside.

But it never came,

“I don’t know why, but I want to listen to you.” Her words were quiet so that only Jongin and Sehun could hear her. “They won’t leave until I open, so you have to hide.” Pointing at a large oak wardrobe, the Queen met Sehun’s eyes. “There’s just something about you, Oh Sehun, that makes me want to listen to your story.”

“Queen Jangmi, please open the door.” The King’s voice was louder now, and someone hammered against the door. Without hesitating, Sehun and Jongin rushed towards the giant wardrobe, slipping inside. Darkness and expensive fabric enveloped them, and when the door closed as if by magic, only a small sliver of light between the two doors remained.

In the Queen’s chambers, the door swung open.


	13. Chapter 12

The air inside the wardrobe was sticky. Even though it had seemed large at first from the outside, the insides were only big enough to barely fit the two men inside. Dozens of beautifully crafted dresses were hung up, squished to the side so Sehun and Jongin could fit in. Jongin was so close that Sehun could feel his breath on his cheek but he found himself thinking that he didn’t mind at all.

For a second, it felt like only the world inside this small, dark space existed. The light that fell through the tiny gap between the two wardrobe doors hit Jongin’s cheekbone and a part of his eye. Sehun’s heart began to pound so quickly that he was afraid that someone else would be able to hear.

Jongin was staring back at him. His lips were parted, plush and soft. His eyes were meeting Sehun’s but then they dropped to his lips for a moment before they moved back as if he’d realized what he was doing.

Slowly, very carefully, Sehun leaned in. The fabrics around them shifted. Only millimetres separated them. Sehun swore he could feel the phantom touch of Jongin’s lips already-

“Queen Jangmi, there are intruders in the palace and it’s safe to assume that it’s Oh Sehun. He was said to have forcefully released all prisoners from their cells and then took one of them, a human without a permission to be in our grounds, with him. We don’t know what his exact intention is, but he is dangerous. Apparently, he is a wielder of magic too. That information was new to us, but several guards confirmed it.”

The King’s voice filled the room and the moment was broken. Already, the now almost familiar began to settle in the pits of their stomachs instead of the light feeling Sehun had felt just seconds ago. He wished that he could just blend it out again, make it stop.

They were at the mercy of the Queen now, fully extradited to whatever choice she made. If the King now convinced her that they were criminals, she could present them to him on a silver platter. There was nowhere for them to go. New tears welled up in his eyes.

“Intruders? I did not notice anything off.” The Queen spoke up.

It was too early to feel relieved, but next to him, he could feel some of the tension leaving Jongin’s body. He watched as the other opened his mouth as if to whisper something, but Sehun frantically shook his head.

“Queen Jangmi, it is of utmost importance that you are honest with us. If you saw either Oh Sehun or the human, you have to let us know. They’re dangerous.” The King insisted. The were hums of agreement, and Sehun only now realized that the King and the Queen weren’t alone in the room.

“Are you saying that I’d lie to you, my King?” The Queen asked. None of the warmth that the people of Heulg usually admired so much was left in her voice. She sounded stern, almost clinical when she addressed the king. “I will not accept someone to speak to me like that even if it’s the King.”

“I did not mean to offend you, my dear Queen. I just wanted to make sure you did not forget something you might have noticed.” The King’s tone was supposed to be polite, but Sehun couldn’t help but think that he sounded almost amused. By what, he didn’t know, but Sehun doubted that he’d ever understand the psyche of that man anyways.

"I will inform you if I see something suspicious. Until then, I would like to continue my tea break with the forest spirits." Hidden from their eyes, the queen glanced at the teacups. The one that had initially began to steam again had now cooled off a second time. "Oh, they seem to have left. That's what happens when I get interrupted. We do not want to anger them, do we?"

Immediately, the King hummed. "Of course not, my Queen. I will talk to you later then... A guard will be sent once we've acquired new information about the location of the fugitives." The last word was almost spit out, and unintentionally, Sehun retreated further back into the wardrobe.

Contrary, the Queen wasn’t impressed in the slightest. "Alright. I'll be awaiting your guard then."

"Very well. Take care, Queen Jangmi."

Footsteps and shuffling around could be heard, until eventually, the door fell shut and the Queen was alone in the room again.

"It's clear now. They've left."

For a minute after the King and his guards had left, the Queen hadn’t said anything. It was almost as if she’d forgotten that they were still there, so when her voice was suddenly so close in front of the wardrobe, Sehun shrieked.

The doors were pulled open and light fell on them. Blinking rapidly, it took them a moment to adjust to it before they stepped out of the wardrobe, carefully looking around to check if there weren’t any guards left and it was just a trick.

Quietly, the Queen watched as Sehun examined the room critically before he deemed it safe. With a nod, she motioned them to sit down in front of her spot on the ground where she’d had her tea earlier. Once they’d gotten comfortable, the Queen spoke up again.

"You two better offer me a very good explanation, or the royal guards will be here so quickly you can't even say flower."

It took a long time to explain everything from the beginning to where they were right now to the Queen. Sehun began by telling her about her visit to the palace where he overheard the conversation and then continued to elaborate on how he ended up in the human world and how Jongin and his friends helped him to return to their world. The whole time, the queen listened, occasionally humming, but she did not interrupt his story once. It confused him a little, and Sehun wondered if the Queen was secretly plotting on how to call the guards already, but when he finished it was when she began to ask question.

They were so detailed that Sehun realized that the old woman had just taken the time to carefully listen and process the information she’d been given. It also became clear that even though she wasn’t in total disbelief, she wasn’t fully convinced yet.

Only when Sehun pulled out the amulet they’d found in Jongin’s grandparent’s shed in the garden, she began to realize that they were telling the truth. Immediately, the Queen had recognized it as the amulet belonging to the royal family, and in particular, her husband. Neither Sehun nor Jongin had known that, but apparently, after his death the amulet had disappeared together with Jongin’s grandfather and the rightful heir, Jongsu.

Silence spread between them as the Queen carefully turned the elegant charm in her hands. When she looked up, she fixated on Jongin. There was a hint of sadness in them, but mostly, her eyes were filled with warmth.

"You look a lot like him."

"Huh?" Taken aback, Jongin ran a finger through his hair. It was the second time in just a few hours that someone had said something like that. First the right hand of the King, now the Queen.

Sensing Jongin’s confusion, the Queen smiled softly. "Like my husband. And his brother. They looked very alike, you know?" She reached out to gently tilt up his chin. "It almost seems as if I'm looking at him again."

The touch came as a surprise, but Jongin didn’t mind. The Queen was lost in her thoughts of her youth, and somehow, Jongin felt honoured that he made her feel this way.

"I- I never knew my grandfather was an elf." He mumbled, sending her an unsure smile.

As if she just realized what she was doing, she gently patted his cheek like she was his grandma and then lowered her hand again to her lap.

“You really could be his spitting image, besides the ears of course.”

The ears. Jongin had never noticed them on his grandfather, but then again, surgeries could probably have fixed that. He was just about to ask if she knew his grandfather very well when Sehun interrupted them.

“I hate to stop this, because it’s very touching, but we have to decide what we’re going to do next. The King needs to be stopped, but without your help, nobody will believe us. We need the people to hear about what the King did. If you tell them, they will believe you. We just need to provide the evidence.” Sehun chimed in. As much as he wanted to listen what the Queen had to say, too, they first had to fix the present before they could get lost in the past again.

“I can talk to the people. We just have to make sure the King doesn’t interrupt that.” The Queen hummed. “Which isn’t going to be easy, but it’s not impossible. The King has many guards, but we have the forest spirits and our powers on our side.”

“So what do you suggest we do?” Sehun asked.

“We should try to solve everything without violence and only use our powers if necessary. I will call out a public appearance where I claim I want to make a speech about the fugitives.” She chuckled at the word. “When in reality, I will then proclaim the truth to the people. I will order my guards to hold back the King’s guards and take him as a prisoner at the same time. If I want to, I can already ask for the public appearance in the evening. The people of the town will have noticed the happenings in the palace by now, and they’ll be more than happy to receive some answers.”

“That sounds like the best way, too. And you think that’s going to work? They’re going to trust you?” Sehun wondered.

“I think so. As you might know, the King lacks popularity among the common people. They are loyal, but what has he done for them in the past few years besides making money and wealth off of them? It is me that keeps the connection to the common people. When it comes down to it, they will believe me.”

“Then… let’s do it like this. I hope-“

A loud crashing sound filled the air. Splinters of wood shot through the air as shards of the broken door came crashing to the ground with force.

There, in the entrance stood the King, his right hand next to him. More than twenty men of the royal army stood behind him, swords and spears raised.

“You’re doing nothing, goldsmith's son. Who do you think you are, believing that you can fight the elven crown. You’re nothing but a bug underneath my boot, and I will make you feel that in a heartbeat.”

The King’s voice boomed through the room. Instantly, Jongin and Sehun had scrambled away from the door, staring at the small army of people filling the room.

“I dare you to speak up against us, traitor.” The Queen had risen to her feet, surprisingly fast for her age. Both Sehun and Jongin had gotten up to, standing in front of her as if to shield her even though they were both shaking from nerves.

“So you believe what the human and the goldsmith son told you. I see.” The king laughed, but there was nothing enjoyable about it. “I guess that means it’s time for you to follow your husband’s path.” The King took a step towards them. Immediately, the small crowd behind him followed.

“You were a great tool for me all these years, but now I don’t need you anymore, Queen Jangmi. Although it was nice to have a Queen that had such a close connection to the people, I won’t wait until you will use it against me. You heard right- I know of your plan.” The king paused and the Queen’s eyebrows furrowed. “It wasn’t difficult to listen in on you. Your heart is too pure, you should’ve checked if I left anyone behind in the hallway. You’re naïve, Queen Jangmi.”

“And you’re a coldblooded murderer. For years, I supported you, not knowing that it was you who killed the rightful king and sent away the heir of the throne.” Instead of retreating further into the room, the Queen stepped past Sehun and Jongin to face the king. “And now it’s time for me to stop you, even if it’s the last thing I do.”

Without any warning, two of the guards that were closest to the King were suddenly pushed backwards, ramming into the other guards behind him. Belatedly, Sehun realized that it was the Queen who had raised her hands, her powers pushing the soldiers backwards.

A scream filled the air, and for a moment, Sehun believed that it had been one of the guards. But when he turned his head, he realized that it hadn’t been one of soldiers. The voice had been too high-pitched, too close-

A knife had pierced the Queens palm. The moment the blade had penetrated her skin, her magic had vanished, the power that had held the guards back dissolved into nothingness. Out of the corner of his eyes, Sehun could see the seal attached to the knife, an ancient rune drawn on it. He wasn’t an expert, but he assumed that the rune was the thing blocking the Queens powers.

“Fuck”, he breathed when another knife flew through the air, missing him only by a few centimetres if it hadn’t been for Jongin who’d pulled him towards him in time.

Wind crashed into the room, the howling of it filling the air as the element began to push the guards away from them, much like the power of the Queen beforehand. The whole tree house was beginning to shake from the strong winds, and Sehun dodged another knife with a movement of his hand, the wind blowing it into a different direction.

An angry scream could be heard, and the King pulled out his sword. It seemed like he was immune to Sehun’s wind, and only a few seconds after he stared at him he understood the reason for it. There, on his chest, was a large rune, stitched in bold green. There was no doubt that it protected him from any kind of magic, and even let him withstand the powers of the wind.

It was only the king, however, who was unaffected by Sehun’s blows of air. All of the guards were shielding their eyes, fighting to stay upright in the strong blow of the wind.

Some of them were yelling, but the words were impossible to understand in the screaming of the wind.

Behind them, the Queen had tried to pulled the knife out of her hand. Although the blade was gone now, the magic of the seal had turned her hand black, the flesh rotting away in record time.

“Sehun-“ Jongin yelled, but it was almost too late. The elf’s head snapped around, only to realize that the King was swinging his sword at him.

Ducking, Sehun managed to slip away from the sword just in time, the blade only barely missing him. As he ducked, he reached into the fabric of his pants, his fingers gripping the knife. Before he could use it though, the blade came rushing a second time already and he rolled away, the sword ramming into the wooden floor instead of his body.

His fingers were sweaty around the handle of the knife. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Jongin picking up a chair to swing it at the king when he came towards Sehun again to let his sword rush down on him a third time. He couldn’t hear the wood splinter, but he felt it, pieces of the chair hitting him as it burst into pieces the moment it hit the king’s back who hadn’t seen Jongin coming.

The man fell to the ground, the sword slipping out of his hand.

In a second, Sehun was on top of him, pinning him to the ground. His hand was high up in the air, clutching to the knife and ready to pierce his heart.

But something was holding him back.

This time, it wasn’t magic, not telekinesis or the wind stopping him from moving a limb. It wasn’t a rune binding him in his movement. No, it was something stronger, something that Sehun was so afraid of that it paralyzed him, made him still on top of the king. The weapon in his palm felt heavier and heavier, the burden of a simple action so heavy on his heart that he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

Jongin’s scream pierced the air again. For a second time, too late again, Sehun realized that the other had been trying to warn him. There, in the hand that hadn’t held the sword, was a knife, sharp and gleaming in the light as it rushed towards Sehun’s throat, ready to slice it-

A palm wrapped around Sehun’s and brought down the knife. Wet warmth moistened his fingers, more and more of it.

The hand that had come for his throat fell to the ground limply. Lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling as thick redness spurted from underneath his palm where the dagger was still burrowed in the man’s chest.

It had been Jongin’s hand that had wrapped around Sehun’s to bring down the knife that had bored into the king’s chest, piercing his heart.

He needed a moment to realize it, but when he saw the blood on his fingers, Sehun understood.

The King was dead, and on his hands, he carried the blood of the Elven king.


	14. Chapter 13

Someone had pulled him away from the corpse. His fingers were still wet, unnaturally warm. When he looked down, he saw the redness. His body felt nauseous, but in that moment, Sehun himself felt nothing at all.

Behind him, he could hear the Queen, she was talking to someone – maybe Jongin? There were hands on his shoulders, still pulling him back. Strong arms wrapped around his chest, and Sehun closed his eyes.

The wind had died down. Only a soft breeze brushed through his hair, as if it tried to pet him and tell him everything was going to be okay. He didn’t really notice the room filling again, new guards joining them.

Things began to become complicated. Jongin and Sehun were being taken away, the Queen yelling orders, but there was too much confusion at the moment. There was still so much red on Sehun’s palms, and even when someone gave him a cloth to wipe it away, he swore he could still see the deep red blotches long after it was all gone.

They weren’t taken to the dungeons, instead someone brought them to a bedroom. Jongin was holding him in his arms the whole time, his hand securely on Jongin’s waist. It was supposed to feel reassuring, but Sehun could feel the shakiness in the other’s fingers.

It surprised him, but they were left alone after that. 

The two didn’t talk for a while. They just sat on the bed, Jongin’s arm around Sehun’s waist. The elf rested his head on the other’s shoulder. Through the door, they could hear the constant tapping of footsteps in the hallway.

The whole palace was up, but was it a surprise? The King was dead, and they were the ones who’d killed him.

They both flinched when the door opened again. They half expected it to be a soldier, someone to take them to the dungeons. But it wasn’t a soldier.

The Queen stood in the doorway, two of her servants behind her. She looked tired, but there was a small smile on her face.

“I’m sorry to have kept you two waiting. Everything is settled now. In a few minutes, I will inform the public about the happenings of tonight, and there will be nothing but truth.” She paused. “I know that you are scared, but there is nothing to fear. Even though a life was taken today, and I wish it could have been different, you did not commit a crime. The King wasn’t the rightful king, and neither I nor my people will miss him. He will be remembered as a traitor, the history books will do their part for that. But I will be the one to make sure that you two, Oh Sehun and Kim Jongin, will be remembered as the two heroes that you are.”

🍃🦋🍃

The Seoul of the otherworld could barely be considered a city by human standards. It was more of a large village, barely a thousand and maybe some elves living inside the city walls that were magically altered trees that had grown to close around the settlement, thickly woven branches shielding the view into the city.

There weren’t any shops that the people went to buy their goods from, they either attended the markets that changed daily – Monday’s were for vegetables, Wednesdays for fish and meat – or were headed to the family’s houses themselves that crafted the goods the elves intended to acquire.

Although there was a currency, metal coins to be precise, the people of the elven folk still preferred to exchange goods instead. The introduction of the currency had been mainly an attempt to support export and import beyond the borders of the kingdom, which had flourished after the introduction for sure, but in the city of Seoul, the elves still preferred to exchange goods for one another.

That’s why tailors brought expensive fabrics with them to the market to grab a particularly exquisite piece of meat, and it was also the reason fishers exchanged fish for tomatoes and carrots. It was very rare though, that some of the visitors of the market brought a little more expensive goods to trade.

Especially jewels and gold were valued by elves. As a magical race that was well known for their beauty, they also loved to adorn their bodies and houses with luxurious articles to enhance their already appealing features.

This was one of the many reasons that the Oh family, the only goldsmith in all of Seoul, held such a renowned reputation not only among the common people but also the royal family.

Even though the King’s robes weren’t adorned with golden embroideries, the flowers and patterns on the King’s clothing instead stitched in a strong green to express the elves connection to nature, the royal family still liked to wear gold necklaces, rings and other pieces of jewellery as well as carry golden weapons, even if they may only be used for rituals or public appearances. 

The sudden message of the Oh’s son being a traitor had expectedly hit the goldsmith hard. It had been the talk of the city, and wherever they went, they could hear the whispers and feel the looks boring into their backs as they headed to the market to sell their goods off in exchange for something else.

But when the sun had almost gone down already and the last few rays of sunlight peeking through the trees and tinting everything it touched in liquid gold, the Queen stepped out of the palace and told the people of Seoul that the young elf was not a traitor, but in fact a hero.

Whispers began to spread through the crowd like wildfire as the elves listened to their Queen. The story was unbelievable, but when the Queen held up the necklace of her husband that had been lost, the elder council knew that she had to be right. Next to Sehun’s mother, his father gasped in the crowd of commoners in front of the palace. It had been his grandfather that had crafted the necklace, and suddenly, he realized that his son had never left them.

A few tears rolled down his cheek as the people around them began to cheer when his son and a human stepped out onto the royal balcony, and Sehun’s father wiped them away as he watched his son bow to the people of Seoul.

🍃🦋🍃

After the public speech of the Queen, Jongin and Sehun had been separated. Although they’d protested and had requested to stay together, the servants explained to them that they were to take them to different baths so they could clean up. While there were two different quarters prepared for them, they didn’t bat an eyelash when Sehun requested to be brought to Jongin after they’d washed up.

The human was already waiting for him. It seemed like he’d just waited for Sehun to come, and the elf realized that a servant must have informed him that Sehun was coming.

The moment the door fell shut behind him, Jongin’s arms had already wrapped around him and pulled him in closely. A familiar scent filled Sehun’s nostrils, something that he didn’t quite connect to the otherworld yet but at the same time, he wouldn’t want to miss here.

It was Jongin who gently tilted up his chin. Their eyes met, and barely a second passed until their lips brushed, first softly, then with more fervour.

The feelings in Sehun’s stomach reminded him of the butterfly that had taken him back home, back where he truly belonged. In this moment, he realized that he’d truly arrived.

  
🍃🦋🍃

"How are you?"

Three cups of tea were placed on the low table. Two of them were almost empty, the third one still full. Steam rose up from it although it had been more than an hour that it had been filled into the cup. 

Queen Jangmi looked tired. Her usually vivid, wise eyes now looked a little worn out, like she’d been lacking sleep. Sehun didn’t doubt that it was the case. Ever since the King had died, the Queen had taken over the reigns in their Kingdom. It wasn’t common, and certainly not everyone had accepted it too well just yet, but almost everyone agreed that for now, Queen Jangmi was the most capable person of ruling the kingdom. Since there was no direct heir, the question of was going to follow her on the throne was one of the hottest talks in the city these days, together with Sehun and Jongin and their heroic actions.

"I've been better. But I'm alive, and that's what matters." Although her eyes were tired, none of that was audible in the Queen’s voice. She sounded sure, a certain warmth hanging on to every word. She reminded Sehun a little of his own grandmother that had died a few years back. 

"Was it... Very painful?"

His eyes glided to her arm. Where a hand had been just days prior, only a bandaged stump was left. After the knife with the seal had penetrated her hand, the curse that the seal had brought upon her spread through her veins. It would have taken the rest of her body if the hand hadn’t been taken off. Just at the mere thought, Sehun felt faint.

The Queen only smiled.

"Pain is relative. I do not remember the feeling, only the emotion. It wasn't a pleasant one, but I've felt worse."

"I'm sorry they couldn't save..." Even though the thought of it made him feel a little sick, he couldn’t stop staring at the space where her hand was supposed to be.

"What? My hand?" She raised her arm. The bandages were pristine white, but Sehun was certain it hadn’t fully healed yet. There were elves with healing abilities, but they only could use them to a certain extent before it affected their own condition too much.

"It's alright. I'm an old woman, and a queen at that. People have been pampering me for all my life, at least they have a reason for it now."

The cup between them was still steaming. Ever since Sehun had entered the room, it had began to heat up again. Sehun wasn’t aware of it, but Queen Jangmi had noticed it the last time already. There had to be something that the forest spirits saw in the young elf and to be quite honest, she couldn’t blame them.

Sehun cleared his throat, interrupting the silence. "Thank you... For believing in us. And telling everyone. I don't think- we could've been in trouble. We killed... The king after all." His speech was chopped, and the Queen realized that Sehun was getting worked up over it again. In the past few days, Jongin had already tried to tell Sehun that what they’d done had been self-defense, their only option, but still, the images didn’t let Sehun go so easily.

"He wasn't the rightful king, Sehun. And most importantly, he tried to take your life." The Queen reminded him.

Sehun only sighed. "I know. But still..."

A warm hand reached for Sehun’s, the woman’s old, wrinkly fingers gently holding Sehun’s between her own. "I know you're blaming yourself, Sehun... this is probably something that will follow you for the rest of your life. But someone very dear told me something important once." She paused.

"My mother once told me that only the people with a pure heart are born with an ability. I think she was right."

🍃🦋🍃

Jongin was waiting for Sehun in the treetops of the palace tree complex. He’d talked with the queen for more than an hour before it had been Sehun’s turn. For the past few days, the two had been living in the palace. Following their wish to return to Sehun’s family home instead, the day that they were going to leave the palace had come. Before they left though, Queen Jangmi had requested to have a chat and some tea with each of them, separately though.

The human had been the first to talk to the Queen. Sehun could’ve waited in the quarters they’d been assigned until it was his turn, but instead he’d used the time to just sit on the plateau and listened to the birds sing and the cicadas chirp. 

After Jongin had stepped out of the Queen’s quarters again, they hadn’t had much time to talk because she’d asked Sehun inside almost immediately. Now as they made their way down to entrance hall of the palace, they finally had the time to share.

"What did you two talk about?" Sehun asked. Almost naturally, his fingers had interlaced with Jongin’s. After their initial kiss, many more had followed. At some point, Sehun had realized how attached he’d really grown to Jongin only in this short amount of time and apparently, Jongin felt the same way.

"Mostly about my grandpa. It was interesting to get to know that... Other side of him."

"The elf side?" Sehun asked and Jongin hummed.

"Yes... It's still hard to believe."

"Did you also talk about the fact that technically, you're the rightful heir? I mean, your dad is, but it's you who's here."

They’d slowed down a little. The large wooden portal that was the entryway to the palace lay in front of them. Behind it lay the world, the otherworld for Jongin, the real world for Sehun. Of course, he’d talked to his family and friends by now. All of them had been invited to the palace, but until now, neither Jongin nor Sehun had left it. The thought of being exposed to everyone and everything almost scared Sehun a little. He wasn’t sure what there was to be scared off, but he just couldn’t bring himself to relax just yet. It was going to take time, he assumed, until things would be back to normal. Silently, he wondered if things were ever going to be normal again. At the same time, he wasn’t even sure if wanted normal anymore.

"We did talk about that heir issue, yeah." Jongin interrupted Sehun’s inner monologue. "But it's something- how should I, of all people rule a kingdom I didn't even know existed just days ago? There are people far more capable than me... I could never- also, I'm more human than elf."

"But you saw how the people looked at you, right? Like you're a hero. Which you kind of are.”

"Well, you too."

They both stayed quiet for a moment. Sehun understood where Jongin was coming from. If someone offered him to become king from one day to the other without any proper education or training, and especially for a kingdom that he hadn’t even known existed, he would be rather sceptical, too.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Sehun mumbled eventually. Only a few steps separated them from the other side. Until now, they hadn’t even talked about all the eventualities.

Would Jongin go back?

They didn’t know. The question had occurred to both of them several times before. The otherworld wasn’t home for Jongin, not yet. There was a possibility that it would be one day, but until then, Jongin had a life in the human world. A life that contained a family that he loved, friends that he adored, everything that he had thought that made him himself. 

But now, there was this other side, the otherworld, and its magic almost seemed to pull him in. Maybe it had to do with the way Sehun looked at him when they stepped into the light, out of the palace and into the morning air of a summer day. 

There were many things that Jongin didn’t know for sure yet, but one thing he did know: He didn’t want to let go of Sehun, and even if it was going to be difficult, he was going to find a way to figure out how to balance his life in two worlds if it was necessary.

“I couldn’t have done it without you either, though.” Jongin smiled at him, squeezing his hand softly.

“I guess we’re a great team, huh?” Sehun chuckled. People were watching them ever since they’d stepped out of the palace, but the two only had eyes for each other.

“I guess so.” Jongin smiled.

In front of them, a yellow butterfly landed on a bush of roses. It went unnoticed.


	15. Epilogue

_ 1 year later. _

"We're going to be late."

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Jongin looked down at Sehun who made no signs of getting up. The sun had long risen into the sky already, and it wasn’t going to be long until it reached its peak position. If it had been any other day, Jongin wouldn’t have minded staying in bed longer, but they had plans today.

"I don't want to get up just yet." Rolling around, the blanket that had covered Sehun’s body slipped away, exposing soft skin and sharp lines. The fabric bunched around his waist, and Jongin found himself staring.

"You always say that." He mumbled, trying to draw his eyes away. It was hard, because even after a year, looking at Sehun left him thinking about how ethereal the other was.

"Well, that's because it's always true." An arm wrapped around Jongin’s waist, effectively pulling him out of his thoughts. Sehun was looking up at him, sleep still in his eyes, but there was an intensity behind them and Jongin already realized that there was no way they were going to be on time.

A year had passed since the King of the elven kingdom had died. Queen Jangmi was still reigning, and although it still upset some citizens that a woman was suddenly in charge, most elves knew that it was for the better. Again and again, the Queen had invited Jongin and Sehun to the palace. Often, she had asked Jongin if he was planning to follow his path as a rightful heir, but every time, Jongin had declined. Due to that, the elder council had begun to consider introducing a new form of government based on democratic values. It had been the Queen that had suggested it, and even though some had been sceptical at first, the council was now seriously considering the suggestion. It was probably still going to take a long time until they would find a perfect solution, but for now, the Queen was still perfectly capable of ruling the kingdom on her own with the help of her many advisors.

Even now, Jongin was still learning to balance his life between the human world and the _ otherworld _. For the first few months, he’d tried keeping up his job in the human world, but by now he’d quit. Most of the time, he and Sehun stayed in the otherworld, a place that Jongin still learned to explore every single day, but some days, they headed back to the human world.

Today was one of these days.

The last time they’d visited the Seoul Jongin had been born in, Baekhyun had invited them to his birthday party. Ever since Jongin had decided that he wanted to live in the otherworld with Sehun and travel between the two worlds to keep up with his family and friends, they had established a rather effective system for moving between the two worlds. They’d become experts at opening the portals, and by now, it wasn’t even a hassle anymore to go through with the ritual.

Baekhyun’s party was supposed to begin in the evening, but they’d intended to visit Jongin’s parents beforehand. Apparently, Sehun had other plans for them though.

“Come on, Nini.” Sehun mumbled, his finger dipping underneath the shirt Jongin had worn to sleep. It was an old H&M shirt, rather unfitting for the otherworld, but Jongin somehow still hadn’t gotten used to most of the fabrics used by the elves so he preferred to wear his old clothes whenever he had the chance.

“You really won’t let me go, huh?” Jongin asked. They still needed to eat and take a shower, but Sehun was clinging to him and the touch of Sehun’s fingers against his bare skin was already sending shivers down his spine. Slowly, Jongin slipped back onto the bed again.

Instantly, Sehun hooked a leg around Jongin’s waist and scooted closer. The fabric that had covered his crotch slipped away, exposing his half hard cock.

While Jongin liked to sleep in a shirt and briefs, Sehun preferred to stay naked in bed at all times. Jongin definitely couldn’t complain.

“You’re so needy today, hm?” He hummed, his mouth brushing against Sehun’s neck and jaw. A hum left the other’s throat, and with satisfaction, Jongin noticed that Sehun’s voice had already become a little breathy.

“Maybe…”

Jongin pushed the blanket away. It was only going to get into their way later on, so he decided that it was best to get rid of it now. Sehun didn’t protest, instead moving closer. Jongin could feel the other’s half hard cock press against his thigh and it sent a wave of heat crashing through him.

It wasn’t hard to rile Sehun up. A few breathy kisses here, some lingering touches there, and the elf was close to being a mess. Today was no different.

Pressing his lips against Sehun’s neck, Jongin began to work a mark into his skin. The one that he’d left on his collar a few days ago was already fading, and he needed to change that. One time, he’d caught Sehun admiring the marks Jongin had left on him in the mirror. Since that day, Jongin made sure to always use every chance he got to mark up his boyfriend.

At the same time, Jongin couldn’t deny that Sehun managed to rile him up just as easily. Before he’d realized it, Sehun had sneaked a hand into Jongin’s boxers. He was still mostly soft, but with skilled strokes, Sehun was able to change that in no time at all.

Quiet moans began to fill the air. Jongin was sure that he could get off like that, just with Sehun’s fingers wrapped around his cock and stroking him so expertly, but he didn’t want that.

Gently pushing the other’s hand away, he got up on his knees and crawled on top of Sehun.

“You’re so hot when you’re like this.” Jongin mumbled. Underneath him, Sehun was bucking his hips up to rub himself against the thigh that Jongin had wedged between his legs. “But I know a way to make you look and sound even hotter.”

He didn’t give Sehun time to respond, instead beginning to press butterfly kisses down his chest and abdomen. He spared Sehun’s cock, already glistening at the tip, and continued to kiss his way from one thigh to the other, making sure to not miss out any of the sensitive spots on the inside of them. He had to hold down Sehun’s legs because they threatened to buck up, his hips twitching the closer Jongin got to where he wanted his lips the most.

“Jongin, please-“ Sehun breathed. Fingers had found their way into Jongin’s hair, carding through them and holding onto them. He could feel their grip tighten when he changed his position, suddenly hovering over Sehun’s cock. His breath touched the hot flesh, and with glee he watched as Sehun’s cock jumped in anticipation.

The sound that Sehun let out when his lips wrapped around the tip of his cock were heavenly. Jongin took his time, mapping out the head and length of Sehun’s cock with his tongue before he began to take him deeper into his mouth. When he hollowed his cheeks and sucked, Sehun pressed an arm over his face to muffle his moans. It was a pity because Jongin wanted to hear, but Sehun’s parents were downstairs, and they both didn’t intend to scar them for life.

He loved the way Sehun twitched and shivered beneath him every time he changed up the pace a little or tried something new. When his tongue played with the sensitive spot underneath the tip of his cock, he had to hold down Sehun’s hips. Even after all this time, the other was still so sensitive. At the thought, Jongin’s cock throbbed in his boxer briefs.

“Can you give me the lotion?” His lips hurt from being stretched so wide for a longer time, and he smacked them a few times when he pulled off. Sehun had a nice cock, thick and long. Jongin loved feeling it inside of him, but right now, he had other plans.

Sehun reached to the side of the bed where the bedside table stood. Blindly, he fumbled around until his fingers finally got a hold of the small bottle of lotion they kept there and handed it to Jongin.

When the first finger pressed against Sehun’s hole, the elf gasped, his legs automatically pressing together a little but Jongin was there to hold them apart. He circled his rim, spreading the lotion a bit before he pushed the first finger inside. Sehun let out a breath and his eyes fluttered shut.

It didn’t take long until he’d reduced Sehun into a gasping and shuddering mess. Once Jongin had found the other’s prostate, he made sure to tease it with every other brush of his finger. Sehun’s heavy cock rested on his stomach, a puddle of precome already having gathered there.

“Jongin, please-“ Sehun whined, his hips rolling on their own accord. It had been a while already since Jongin had added the third finger and they both knew that Jongin was just teasing at this point.

“Okay, okay… you’re so impatient.” Jongin breathed, but his eager movements to pull out his fingers gave away how excited he was.

He hissed when Sehun pushed down his briefs and his fingers wrapped around his hard cock. Jongin hadn’t noticed when Sehun had lubed them up, but the glide on his length felt heavenly. When the elf decided it was enough, he let go of Jongin, waiting for him to push inside.

Lining up, Jongin couldn’t resist teasing Sehun’s hole with the tip of his cock first. He loved the way the head of his cock pressed against the tight ring of muscle, how he knew that Sehun wanted nothing more than him to push inside.

When Sehun let out an impatient huff, Jongin complied slowly pushed inside.

They both held their breath. Once Jongin had fully sheathed himself inside Sehun, he remained like that for a moment. The need to move, to fuck into the other, was overwhelming, but he knew that he had to give Sehun some time to adjust, even if it were only a few seconds.

“You can move.” Sehun mumbled, knowing that Jongin was only waiting for him. His arms had wrapped around his boyfriend’s neck, pulling him close so that their bodies were aligned. It was harder to move that way, but he loved the feeling of having him so close. It was so much more intimate, and that was what mattered to Sehun the most.

Jongin didn’t hesitate any longer. The first rolls of his hips were slow, careful, but with every movement, they become more assured. Together, they began to build up a rhythm, Sehun rocking back against him, his cock squished between their bodies. Every time Jongin moved a certain way, it stimulated it and Sehun let out a low moan.

Jongin’s lips had found his own. Long, drawn-out kisses drowned out the noises threatening to leave their lips. Only the sounds of their skin slapping together and their ragged breaths could be heard. One of Sehun’s hands tangled in Jongin’s hair again, the other reaching down to grope his ass.

It was Jongin who came first. His hips stuttered as he thrusted into Sehun hard, one time, two times, until his hips stilled, his come spilling into the other and painting his walls from the inside.

When he pulled out, Sehun gasped at the feeling of Jongin’s come trickling out of him. Before he could realize what was going on, Jongin’s lips had already wrapped around his cock again. It only took a few seconds before Sehun tipped over the edge too. Jongin swallowed everything, his tongue lapping up the rest that had spilled from the corners of his lips.

Panting, he fell beside Sehun, eyes fluttering shut.

They were definitely going to be late for Baekhyun’s birthday party.

🍃🦋🍃

The sun was filtering through the trees, the shadows of the leaves leaving intricate patterns on the ground beneath the tree roots where the earth was still wet from last night’s rain. Summer had only begun to reach out it’s fingers, and the nights were still cold, a sheen of morning dew glimmering on the flower petals every time the sun rose from its slumber.

Jongin still remembered the first time he’d come here. The backyard behind the workshop of the goldsmith’s family was everything his life back in the human world hadn’t been. Wild, untamed, colourful. The vividness of the flower petals used to remind him of his past life, but now, all that Jongin could see the beauty of nature itself. At the age of 26, Jongin understood that there was still so much for him to uncover in his two worlds, and the thought made him feel incredibly young, almost inexperienced.

Here, in the garden, time seemed to stand still. It made him remember the first time he’d stepped into a different world, a parallel universe that seemed so similar at first glance, but was so incredibly different once you began to dig deeper. The light coming through the trees and the unique scent in the air, to this day Jongin still smelled it as if his senses had improved after entering the _ otherworld. _

“We’re going to be late once again, Jongin.”

It was funny, Jongin thought, that it was Sehun now that seemed to reprimand him about being late. It had been his actions after all that had led to their delay, but somehow, Jongin couldn’t bring himself to blame the other.

Arms wrapped around him from behind as Sehun stepped closer to him, pulling him against his chest. His chin came to rest on Jongin’s shoulder, and together they looked out of the window into the backyard where birds were picking at bugs in the wet soil and bees hummed in their eternal search for flowers.

One of them had gotten lost on the way and had slipped into their bedroom through the half-opened window. There, on the windowsill, stood a bouquet of roses. Jongin had brought them for Sehun a few days ago, and they were slowly but surely beginning to droop. The bee didn’t seem to mind, whirring around the blossoms energetically.

Jongin could feel Sehun’s naked chest press against his back. They were both still wet from the shower, clad in nothing but their underwear. Both knew that they were late, but neither of them could bring themselves to rush and interrupt the moment.

Just when the bee landed on one of the rose petals, it floated to the floor as if a gentle breeze was carrying it. Jongin watched as it came to a rest on the wooden flooring, and he realized that some things weren’t made for eternity, but when he felt Sehun’s lips brush against the nape of his neck, he realized that they certainly were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heulg (the name of the kingdom) means soil in Korean.  
Jangmi means rose.
> 
> A few headcanons for this verse:  
✨ Junmyeon ended up indirectly confessing to Yifan when he went to him to apologize for lying to him about smuggling Sehun in and when Yifan looked at him in a mad-cute way, Junmyeon just kissed him. They've been dating ever since  
✨ Since gay marriage is still illegal in South Korea, Chanyeol proposed to Kyungsoo and asked him to have a wedding with him in the otherworld instead where LGBTQ+ is totally normal and accepted. They threw the biggest party and Baekhyun who was their best man along with Jongin got so drunk on Elven Schnaps he had the hangover of his life. Chsnsoo also spent their honeymoon in the otherworld  
✨ Minseok and Junmyeon are fishers because of their powers (water and ice) and have the most effective fishing business in Seoul  
✨ Sehun still requests frequent updates of the plant's well-being he left in the human world  
✨ They invite Jongdae to visit the otherworld too. He decides to stay a while and do research to write a book so that he can put it in the shelves of the backroom of his family's shop too. He even meets distant relatives and lives with them for a while to study their daily lives  
✨ Jongin realizes he has magical abilities too. Due to his bloodline not being purely elven, his abili to teleport are rather limited and he's only able to jump distances of about 1-2km. He realised he had the ability when Sehun gave him a blowjob for the first time and he ended up on the other side of the room. Sehun was very confused to say the least (at least Jongin did teleport into the kitchen were Sehun's parents were having breakfast)

**Author's Note:**

> I would really appreciate it if you left Kudos, comments and shared the fic with your friends. It really means a lot to me. Also, if you haven't yet please check out the other fics of this fest and give them some love too, they deserve it! <3


End file.
